Thunder King

All tidied up

Crimson Tiger didn't say anything, she just pulled her own grapple gun out and swung over to the other side of the building, landing on top of it. She looked over at Gyrfalcon and pointed to the middle, where there were some windows sitting in the middle of the roof. She scooted over towards the window, and gazed inside, clearly hoping to see if she could spot the guards. She motioned to Gyrfalcon to come and look.

Crimson Tiger nodded. That was a good plan. Take out the guards, observe the deal, improvise "Front door seems like an invitation for bullets." She nodded in agreement. She assumed he could get in on his own, with the gear he was packing. Get over, up and in. "See what we can pick off as we go through, get them by surprised and knock them out. That way we're not staring down gun barrels." She looked up at the two guards. "There's a reason my suit is dark red and not bright red. I don't want to stick out here."

Crimson Tiger looked over to Terrifica. "I was thinking, I go high, you go low? Or do we both go in the same way?" She was curious as to what the best course of action was. "What do you think?" She would usually take out one set, let the other notify. Let them try to look for her. Most thugs didn't have the sense for proper security sweeps, and she often took advantage. These guys were a little more organized, though. Terrifica was clearly one of the smart ones, and it helped to listen to clever people.

"A major drug deal." She said. "I think a little bit of everything. Might have some powered protection. I didn't catch the names of the people behind the deal, but with this kind of set-up, it's bound to be a big one. I don't imagine security, four vehicles, and all those suits are for a few dime bags and some eight balls." She was amused. He was well equipped, but probably new to the hero business. "Got any ideas for approach?" She asked. Her idea, at least, her initial idea, was to use the various shipping containers to hide her approach and possibly climb in over the side. A frontal assault was a bad idea, guns were probably involved. She wondered if he had some kind of powers, too.

It was by pure coincidence that Crimson Tiger was on the same rooftop, for the same reason. She noticed the figure crouched ahead and assumed, as was natural in Freedom City, that he too was a hero that was looking at an office building by the waterfront. She'd fought in so many of those warehouses that she could almost map them. Drug pushers loved them. She walked up beside him, crouching to keep from being obvious, and looked over. "Hey." She said. "Lemme guess, drugs?" She was shorter than him, in a dark red and black striped costume, and her strength and athleticism even under the armor and padding. She was old hand at these sort of busts, but help from another hero was always welcome.

You see a pair of what appear to be thugs with guns standing in the second story window, serving as lookouts. They don't seem to notice you.

"Arson isn't my style, and besides, I'd have done it while the club was empty anyway. No, turns out there was a boyfriend. Got burned up, decided to use fire himself. The other girl, Amber, was in on the plan. I sent her packing out of town. Took Burner's toy away from him and evacuated what I could." He sighed, burning alive and smoke inhalation were nasty ways to go. "Then, well, Blowfish kept going after me." He left out a lot of details. Jane in her entirety, the car crash. It wasn't that he totally distrusted Fat Joe, it was just better for everyone if those were kept secret. He took a bite of the hot dog and shrugged. "To his error. Ended up in a fight in a hospital. Let's say Blowfish is going to take a long time before he can recover from last night. The Bad Beat might survive, and Blowfish did, but it hurt him, a lot. He's in the hospital, his club is in ruins, and he's gonna need to do some serious climbing to get back to where he was." He shook his head. "He took her life, and lost his livelihood. It's not fair by any measure, but it's something. Sometimes the best you can do to injustice is spit in it's eye." He hadn't intended to make an enemy of Blowfish, his arsenal of freaks or the Burner, hadn't meant to make any friends, but that's what happened. He was declaring war on Bedlam's crime. Might as well start somewhere. "I need to go rest." He admitted. "Last night was rough. Rest, keep under the radar, keep out of the spotlight. I'll see you around." He finished his hot dog, threw the wrapper in the garbage by Fat Joe's hot dog stand, and walked off down the road.

"Stop him." John said. "Destroy his equipment, see if I can't get him arrested, or institutionalized, or something. That kid needs off the streets and in a therapist's office." he sighed. "I need to get going, we both need rest, you more than me." He stood up. "I'll keep an eye on things. I have to disappear. I can't afford to answer questions." He chuckled. "Not that they could hold me long, but I don't want the hassle, not after tonight." He looked around. He could vanish, disappear from sight, and leave. That seemed best. The Tattered Man must remain a myth, but he'd already found himself connected in too many ways. He couldn't afford to let Jane get burned, literally or metaphorically. He questioned whether he wanted to see her again. Questions for another time, tomorrow, maybe. He slipped into the chaos, into the shadows, and on to the streets of Bedlam.

OOC thread for this

GM Waterfront, Freedom City June 12th, 2017 Approximately 11 PM The heat of the day had faded to a cooler night, warm, not oppressively hot. Clouds above passed over the moon. The air smelled of saltwater by the docks. Four vehicles, two SUVs, two cars, pulled up to a modest two story office building. The men and women that got out of the vehicles were dressed in stylish, seasonal wear. Various bags and briefcases were shuffled into the building. Surrounding the central office were a series of smaller buildings and shipping containers arrayed carefully. Most of them, however, were sitting long in disuse, and the office building was maintained, but not often used.

John would have laughed. "I don't exist." He said, flatly. "Legally, I'm a non-entity." He shrugged. "Who I was died, and who I am doesn't exist in the legal books." He did look into it, Stephen Chambers was not yet legally dead, but wasn't exactly being looked for either. "Arrest isn't likely, but I appreciate the offer." He figured if he did get arrested, he could probably escape. Especially given his police background. "I'm going to keep an eye on you and the Bad Beat, but I'm going to go quiet for a while. A couple of weeks or so. Let the heat die down a bit." What that meant, obviously, was that The Tattered Man simply wouldn't appear anywhere for a while. John Smith, however, would go on about his business. "I don't want to make too many waves right now."

"Its....over." John said. "I'm okay. I heal fast. Mostly, I'm just tired." He admitted. "Blowfish is out cold along with most of his goons." He gently helped her back to bed and leaned against the wall. "I'll be fine." He said with a shrug. "A few days, at worse. I'll wake up better than I am now, that's for sure. I'm sorry, I got you hurt. Wasn't my intention. I really should have gone to the site alone." He shook his head. "I'm just glad you'll recover, honestly." At least, he thought, Vanity was avenged. Somewhat, kinda.

(This is a PL10 rebuild of Solar Sentinel) Player Name: Thunder King Character Name: Solar Sentinel Power Level: 10 (160/162) Trade-Offs: -4 Defense/+4 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 2 In Brief: Cosmically empowered immortal veteran of an interstellar war Alternate Identity: Henry William Mason Identity: Secret Birthplace: Adolphus, Kentucky Occupation: Firefighter Affiliations: Freedom City Fire Department, the Zarnashi Military Family: None Description: Age: 121 (DoB: January 18th, 1896) Apparent Age: 35 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 6'3" Weight: 230 lbs Eyes: Gray Hair: Brown Henry is tall and broad shouldered, with a ruggedly handsome face, and stern features. He looks reasonably young, but anyone who sees into his eyes will see the age in them. He keeps his hair short and walks upright. He favors work pants and button up shirts, claiming to feel naked in t-shirts. He also favors leather shoes and boots, having a dislike for sneakers. Henry's costume is blue and gold, designed to look sleek and fast even when it's not in motion. Power Descriptions: Henry's cosmic energy manifests as a brilliant blue, though for certain things he can suppress the glow, such as using his normal flight or super-strength. The exact manifestations of this energy follow; Blast: Henry's blasts are manifested as blue bolts of energy, slightly resembling flame. Flight: When Henry flies, it manifests as a slight blue aura. When he's pulling power from his cosmic array, it produces a blue contrail that follows after him. Super-Strength: When accessing his array to enhance his strength, Henry's glow intensifies relative to the effort he needs to put forth. Healing: The recipient of his healing also glows slightly when affected by it. Extra Effort: The higher his energy output is, the more flame-like the manifestations become. History: Henry was born in Kentucky to a poor farm family. His father and mother both died early in his life, leaving him orphaned at 12 years old. At 16, he lied about his age and joined the US Army, where he served until the end of WWI, serving with distinction as a Non-Commisioned Officer. He was discharged honorably in 1920, and settled down in Freedom City. It was in 1922, however, that everything changed. One night, a friend of his invited him to stay out with him in the country, at his home in rural Pennsylvania. He never got there. Instead, an alien space craft captured him for study, crewed by members of the Zarnashi race. They were planning on sending him back after their tests, but they spotted an enemy vessel on their sensors. In their haste to escape the enemy craft, they accidentally brought their passenger, Henry, with them. Over the next few months, it was increasingly evident that war was inevitable between the Zarnashi and the Makh'rell peoples. Unable to go home, Henry became an ally of the Zarnashi race. A few months later, he found himself on a brand new space craft with an experimental FTL drive. The drive's core ended up with a massive breach. Selflessly, Henry helped everyone escape from the room, but he himself was trapped. The damaged drive bathed him in cosmic energy. The Zarnashi were surprised to find that he was not only alive, but far more powerful. He willingly joined the war against the Makh'rell race, becoming a respected and feared member of their military. However, the war dragged on for years. Henry fought for 88 years in a war that wasn't his own. Once the Zarnashi had secured peace, however, there was no reason to keep such an oddity among their ranks. And so, with his permission, they dropped him back on Earth with a few key supplies. Little did he know how much the world had changed. He managed to get enough help to set himself up again, with a new job; firefighter with the Freedom City Fire Department. However, after years of fighting, he found himself having a hard time adjusting to society. So, he decided to make himself a costume and start a new war; a war on crime. He'd never take another life again, but fighting is all he knows, and all he has. Personality & Motivation: Immortality has taught Henry a great deal about life, death, and survival. He has the long view on life, but also knows to cherish life's pleasures. Honor is very important to him. He considers his word paramount, and is reluctant to give it unless he knows he can live up to it. He fights crime because fighting is all he knows. He feels that he's seen too much blood, and will neither take a life, nor neglect to save civilians. Powers & Tactics: He uses the same tactics now that he did in the war; hit them fast, hit them hard. He makes ready use of move-by-action, charging in to blast, hitting them fast and moving out of range. When pressed, he has no problem closing distance and hammering at the opposition until it breaks. His powers leave little room for finesse or subtlety, but he's just fine with that. Complications: Secret: Identity. Nobody knows that Henry is a superhero, he likes it that way A Stranger In His Own Land: He's lived in space for most of his life. Earth, especially modern Earth, is so different that he won't get pop culture references and doesn't understand modern social norms very well. Child of Battle: He's been fighting for so long that sometimes he chooses to fight when he might have gotten away with a nonviolent solution. Blood on his hands: Henry is responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of sentient beings, this does not sit well on his concience. The Bloody Stranger: During the war, Henry had a bit of a reputation for being a ferocious and nigh-unkillable warrior. Sometimes this reputation gives him problems when dealing with extra-terrestrials. New War, New Responsibilities: Recent cosmic events have dragged Henry back into combat in space. He is finding himself more involved in events out in space than ever before. Abilities: 10+0+4+6+4+4= 28PP Strength: 20/30 (+5/+10) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 8+6 = 14PP Initiative: +4 Attack: +10 melee +4 ranged +10 Cosmic Blast Grapple: +15N/+18B/+28S Defense: +6 (+3 base, +3 dodge bonus) +2 flat-footed Knockback: -7 N: Nullified, B: Base S: With Strength Array Saving Throws: 8+6+6 = 20PP Toughness: +14 (+2 Con, +12 Protection) Fortitude: +10 (+2 con, +8 base) Reflex: +6 (+6 base) Will: +8 (+2 wis, +6 base) Skills: 56R = 14PP Diplomacy 10 (+12) Intimidate 10 (+12) Knowledge: Galactic Lore 7 (+10) Knowledge: Tactics 9 (+12) Language 2 (English[native], Zarnashi, Galstandard) Notice 10 (+12) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: 17PP Attack Focus(Melee) 6 Attack Specialization 3 (Blast) Benefit (Tactics to Master Plan) Dodge Focus 3 Improved Initiative Master Plan Move-By-Action Power Attack Powers: 23+10+10+12+6+6 = 67PP Azure Flame (20PP array; Feats: Alternate Power 3) (23PP) BP: Blast 10 20PP AP: Enhanced Flight (5 to 15) 500,000 mph, 4,400,000 ft/rnd) 20PP AP: Healing 6 (Extras: Action (to standard) PFs: Regrowth) 19PP AP: Enhanced Strength 10 (to 30) + Super-Strength 5 20PP (Effective str 70, Heavy Load 204 tons) Flight 5 (250 mph, 2200 f/rnd) 10PP Immunity 10(Aging, Life Support) (10PP) Protection 12 (12PP) Super-Movement 3 (Space Travel 3) (6PP) Super-Strength 3 (6PP) (Effective str 35, Heavy Load, 3.2 tons) DC Block Unarmed Touch DC25 (staged) Damage (physical) Blast Range DC25 (staged) Damage (energy) Totals: Abilities (28) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (20) + Skills (14) + Feats (17) + Powers (67) - Drawbacks (0) = 160/162

John called for help. Jane was still not back in the room, the area was in chaos. He hoped they'd admit Blowfish. Not because John cared, but to tie him up in the hospital for a day or two to let Jane get some time to recover. He slumped against the wall. He was exhausted, running on fumes. But, things seemed to finally calm down, somewhat. A night club fire, a car crash, a fight in a hospital. He needed to reconnect with Fat Joe and go off the radar for a few days.

"That's not going to happen. Not here." John said. "You're going to walk away. Now." He was tired of this kid. He wanted him gone, he wanted to go home. He knew he'd go after Blowfish eventually, but not here, not tonight. "I don't give a damn about Blowfish, living or dead, but you're not burning him here, you're not burning him now." He was prepared to take this kid down, he was prepared to put him in the hospital. He wanted to take that flamethrower and destroy it.

John ignored Vassily for the moment. "Not going to pretend your situation doesn't suck, or that you don't have a good reason for hating Blowfish." He looked at Vassily, then the Burner. "You wanna fight? Kill each other? Get the hell out. Do whatever you want, pistols at dawn, swords at sunset. I don't give a damn what you do, just don't do it here. I can't pretend you have a heart." He glared at Vassily. "But if you don't leave you'll be staying as a patient." He hoped they left. He would rather Burner listen to reason, but, barring that, at least he didn't want to have to deal with him. He had his fill of tonight. He just wanted to make sure Jane was safe, and go home.

"Riley isn't making me feel uncomfortable." Hannah said, quietly, but insistently. It was mostly kind of true. Generally speaking, while what he said did make her feel slightly uncomfortable, it was close to an actual compliment from a cute boy. Some things were worth being a little uncomfortable for, she thought. 'short dark and psycho'. That word, 'psycho', she didn't like it. She saw Corinne starting to do, whatever it was she did. She didn't care what those girls and those boys wanted to do, they could argue and fight all they wanted. Corinne, though, was her friend. "Those guys are harmless." She said to her friend, one person who sincerely appreciated her for what she was. "Everything's okay." She was talking to everyone but wanted Corinne to hear. She didn't know much about Riley, but he seemed okay, unlike the immediately combative girls who inserted themselves into the situation. Maybe he was 'psycho', but she questioned the wisdom of picking on a 'psycho'.

"I don't think splitting up is the best idea right now." Crimson Tiger said with a shrug. "I mean, they've got some intense stuff, makes sense to go in together. At least until we get there, might split off to do a pincer attack on site. I prefer to wing it, let things flow. A plan of attack works, but never survives contact with the enemy." She did remember Terrifica. It wasn't the best impression, but very little frustrated or angered Mali. Indeed, she'd met far more abrasive people, and reserved her anger for those who caused undue harm. Like weapon dealers.

"They are leaving. This is a hospital. This is not the place to do this. Or do you care so much about your revenge that you don't care how many people get caught up in your flames?" John didn't want the thugs to die, not like that. Burned alive was a rough way to go, nobody deserved that. More to the point, fires could spread. He had no trust in the fire safety measures of the hospital. He did have a plan. Charge the Burner, disarm him, get rid of or destroy his flamethrower. That big, stupid, dumb device that nearly killed a hundred people, and was even now threatening more. "Is your revenge really worth all these innocent lives? You think this is what Amber would want, or Vanity? Big hero, lights up a hospital." He was beyond playing nice. Kid could have waited, could have kept to the shadows. Could have pounced on Blowfish on a night John wasn't around.

"I've had a long, crazy night." John admitted. "You want to go? Fine, let her go, that's all you have to do. Just walk away and I'll forget you exist. Take her with you, or hurt her?" In the shadows, he was a mass of tattered cloth, shifting subtly in height and weight, could have been a trick of the lighting, could have been real. "I'll remember you, I'll find you, and you'll never see me coming. Do us all a favor, and get the hell out of here."

Going to intimidate the goons. Considering what John's done to these guys, I'm thinking it might help. 31 Can only get a little better, if this doesn't scare them, nothing will.

John easily burst out of their grip. He punched the first man in the face, elbowed the second man in the stomach, and backhanded the third man. They fell, crumpled to the hospital floor. He gazed over to Vassily and charged. One more, he thought. One more and this night was over. At least, he hoped. He was tired, he was sore, he was angry, he was pretty sure at least some of his clothes were ruined. But, not that coat. The coat was never destroyed, yet always ruined. A perfect metaphor for Bedlam.

Move closer to Vassily, naturally

Taking 10, using Minion rules and Takedown Attack 2, That's an 18 on the roll, DC23 toughness saves until John runs out of targets or someone saves.