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GM Post Bedlam Harbor. Tuesday, May 21st, 2019. 8:35 am. You found all sorts of useful junk floating in Lake Michigan; wood, bottles, bits of plastic. Stafford T. Phillips, mostly known as 'Relic' to his few friends, had been plying his trade on these waters for decades, collecting these treasures in his little jet boat, the Eartha Kitt, then selling them for scrap, or to several local artists who worked in found materials. A few hours every day with his net and his crook was usually all he needed to maintain his simple lifestyle. This morning, Relic was poking around the eddies that caught junk by the base of Pier 7, a favorite spot of his. He was leaning over to snag a particularly promising looking mass with his crook, when he realized it was a body; he only saw a quick flash of wetsuit and a floating cloud of hair, but that was enough to chill his blood and twist his stomach. "Holy s###," he cried out. "Holy s###!" Somehow in all his years of scrap hunting, he'd never come across a body before, and now that he had, he had no idea what to do. In a panic, he raised his voice as loud as he could to see if someone nearby could help him. "Hey! Hey! We've got a body down here! A human body!"

GM Saturday 22nd Dec, late evening We wish you a merry S**tmas, we wish you a merry s**tmas, we wish you a merry sh*tmas, and a $£%!ing new year! Yes, it was that glorious time of year in Bedlam, when the drunks prowled the streets spreading violence and badwill to all men. And women. And dogs. Of course, some people tried to celebrate it, but cynicism knew no bounds in Bedlam, and Ms. Caroline Cruz could hear a bunch of louts singing outside. Drunk. She knew drunk, of course. She knew it very well indeed. But that was not her concern right now, for she heard some banging on the door. "CRUZ! CRUZ! ARE YOU IN THERE? ARE YOU IN THERE?" It was not an unfriendly voice, but not friendly either. It was a low, panicked and desperate voice. And it belonged to a man in an overcoat, gloves, and hat. Dark skinned, darked hair, moustache, thick rimmed glasses. Slightly rotund around the girth but one would not call him fat. He was of average build and not blessed with good looks, but one would say he was well dressed. Rich, even. And of course Rich people had money. Money to spend on investigators. Even at this time of the evening.

Stark Hill July 12, 2018 The world was on fire. But it took a long time for the ashes to reach some places. While the sky bled crimson and the towers of the capes burned off on the East Coast, Bedlam was in a state of gridlock. There was doomsaying, but only at a somewhat greater pitch at any other day. The Mayor had already talked about getting the National Guard ready to deploy, but word was the Governor was holding off until there was tangible evidence that the threat had gotten beyond Lake Erie - and even then, odds were he would be much more interested in anywhere that wasn't Bedlam. The Special Assault Squad was in the streets in force, but they seemed to be taking their exercise dealing with desperate and fervid individuals hoping to take advantage of an all-you-can-grab, end-of-the-world sale. And so, the morning of July 12 dawned in Stark Hill as it had any other day. With the blood being hosed into the gutters, with the rise of an oppressive heat fed by the winds off of Lake Michigan, with Obedieh Brick on the 12th hour of "BREAKING NEWS," screaming about the need to grab the biggest gun one could and use it as the ultimate deterrent against the death gods from outer space. The haze and the fury was growing, but it was the same haze and fury as might be expected as Bedlam approached the dog days of summer. That is, until the brownstone on 3rd Street was cut in half. Those who were nearby would say it started as a "flash of black light," a half-second glimmer of palpable darkness. Curiosity turned to panic as the sound of crumbling brick and creaking steel filled the air, as gravity took hold on the building and rent it like a hunk of bread, causing it to list and tilt towards the buildings at either side. And from within, there was still that glimpse of brilliant darkness...

Spring 2018 A Saturday evening Anna appeared in Jette's office, sitting in the office chair directly in front of the latter's desk. She was smirking, her legs crossed demurely before her, and wearing an orange tracksuit like someone who'd gone jogging in a Bedlam winter. "Hey, Rocket Shorts! Remember me?" There was only one person who had ever called Jette Rocket Shorts, even though she'd heard almost nothing of that worthy since she'd gone to jail - three years _after_ Jette herself had gone behind bars. Anna Cline was a good twenty-five years her senior, closer to her late partner's age than her own, but the smile lines were thin enough and the blonde hair real enough that it was clear she didn't look her age; if anything, she looked Jette's age or a few years younger.

JETTE Power Level: 7 (105/115PP) Unspent Power Points: 10 Trade-Offs: -1 Attack /+1 Damage, +1 Defense / -1 Toughness In Brief: Silver Age techie sidekick turned bitter and cynical PI Catchphrase: N/A Theme: Date Line (I Am Gone), by Yellowcard Alternate Identity: Caroline Cruz (Secret) Birthplace: New York City Residence: Hardwick Park, Bedlam, Wisconsin Base of Operations: Bedlam, Wisconsin Occupation: Private Investigator Affiliations: AEGIS (though not by choice at all) Family: Terry Cruz (disgraced billionaire businessman, not really dead), the Cruz family (very estranged) Description: Age: 58 (Born in 1960) Apparent Age: Late 30s Gender: Female Ethnicity: Puerto Rican Height: 5’ 5” Weight:130 lbs. Eyes: Light Brown Hair: Brown streaked with gray Appearance: Caroline pretty much just wears loose fitting clothing, most commonly jeans and dark colored shirts. Her shoes are battered sneakers, and she has an oversized leather jacket covering her Quantum Gauntlets. She doesn’t look nearly as old as she is, and is still in great shape. As JETTE, she wears a mask and a blonde wig to hide her identity. History: It started in 1963, with Caroline’s cousin Terry Cruz. He was a filthy rich industrialist in Freedom City. A witty, charming genius, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t like him. At least, that’s how Caroline remembers it. He invented a flight belt made out of inexpensive components. He then built a battlesuit around the technology, and became a superhero (The Human Rocket). He was never as famous as The Raven or the Centurion, and he never quite made it to the level of the Freedom League, but he did his part. In 1975, however, Terry made a fateful decision to follow a dream. Humans didn’t need to be stuck on the ground. He’d make it so everyone could fly. He needed a helper, so he recruited the then 15 year old Caroline (already a tech genius in her own right), his own younger brother Donald (the man was a born salesman, better than even Terry) and set to work. A year later, Caroline debuted as JETTE, and the flight belts were put into production. Donald was to run the factory itself, with Caroline as tech support. Terry would help out where he could, but his life was a busy one. He trusted his family with his dream. At first, everything was okay. There were some unexpected bugs to iron out in the manufacting process, but between Caroline’s skills and Donald’s leadership they pulled through. Then the first shipment disappeared. It turned up in the hands of a band of thieves, with the design weaponized in ways Terry had only seen in his nightmares. He and Caroline stopped them, of course, but that didn’t account for the entire shipment. Orders dried up overnight. His good name was tarnished. AEGIS was investigating him for giving them to those criminals. As if he’d do such a thing. He was going to get to the bottom of this. There wasn’t any need to stop production. They’d just store them in the factory until Terry cleared his name. It took two years (and a few more battles with flight belt equipped criminals), but get to the bottom of it Terry did. Donald, as it turned out, while he shared much of his older brother’s intellect, lacked anything resembling Terry’s integrity. He did, however, share the knack for hiring competent people and putting them in positions to succeed. “The Don”, was a rising star in the criminal underworld, and this was his chance to make it big. Terry refused to let it be at his expense. Turned out Don had his own battlesuit, and a squad of battlesuited muscle (including many of the factory’s key employees) to back him up. Terry had just Caroline. The fight tore the factory apart, and destroyed the stored flight belts. When it was over, “The Don” was presumed dead, his goons had vanished, and any evidence that didn’t point directly to Terry and Caroline Cruz being guilty of his crimes was virtually destroyed. The trial was quick. The prosecution basically had them cold, and anything that could’ve proven their innocence was long gone. They both got over a decade of hard time. Between that, the lost money spent on the belts and the revelation of just how much money Donald had stolen from his brother’s company, Terry was ruined. Both of them were barred from using their technological skill sets without authorization as a condition of early release. After his release, a broken Terry dropped off the face of the earth. Caroline scraped by doing odd jobs and moving around a lot, until she moved to Bedlam in 2003. Here, nobody looked too closely at your record, and even her AEGIS minder (to make sure she isn’t tech’ing without permission) that pops in now and again is virtually incompetent and probably corrupt as the rest of the law. She started doing unlicensed PI work to pay the bills. Soon afterward, she took her Quantum Gauntlets out of storage. They didn’t work, obviously. They needed refurbishing. But she needed the firepower. Bedlam was a tough place. And somewhere, deep inside, a hero’s heart still beat. Personality & Motivation: Caroline is bitter, cynical, and jaded. She’s seen what happens to visionaries who try to change the world for the better, and the worst that humanity has to offer. She has deep and intimate knowledge of how much people suck. So she drinks. Who wouldn’t? However, even 40 years gone, the altruistic core of who she is remains. Some things are just wrong. There’s lines she won’t cross and things she won’t allow to happen in her presence. Powers & Tactics: Caroline, wielding the Quantum Gauntlets, is essentially a blaster. Blast, blast, and blast some more. Maybe mix in a thrown item if she’s feeling fancy. She can fly, but this doesn’t often play a role in combat tactics. Really handy for getting the hell out of a bad situation, though. The energy flowing through her body makes her more resistant to damage, as well. Power Descriptions: 40 years ago, the Quantum Gauntlets were bulky whole hand, arm and shoulder blade covering monstrosities. The refurbish cut them down quite a bit. Without her big leather jacket they’re metal bands around her forearms with a thin strip of flexible metal running up her arms and meeting on her back. They do have a fingerless glove element, which is the control mechanism. But that can pass as regular fingerless gloves. What they do is allow her to channel quantum energy to manipulate the four fundamental forces. They’re not as powerful as they used to be, but they get the job done well enough for Bedlam. Complications: Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Caroline drinks. A lot. She admits she’s probably a functional alcoholic. The key, she says, is to celebrate the functional part of that term. She does keep it to outside of business hours, most of the time. But sometimes it can get in the way. Especially when humanity’s worst qualities smack her in the face. A GM may award a Hero Point when booze (or the unholy craving for booze) gets in her way. Using My Mind Is Illegal: Caroline isn’t supposed to be using her technological knowledge and skills without authorization under penalty of re-imprisonment. Her Quantum Gauntlets are a shining example of exactly what she isn’t supposed to be doing. She has an AEGIS agent (who may or may not be as incompetent as she thinks he/she is) assigned to her to make sure she isn’t tech’ing around without permission who can drop by unannounced at any time. A GM may award a Hero Point if this becomes an issue. Broke As All Hell: Caroline doesn’t have money. She never has money. Her apartment is tiny, and doubles as her office. She doesn’t own a vehicle. Her diet sucks. A GM may award a Hero Point if she needs cold hard cash, as she has practically none. Quantum Failure: The Quantum Gauntlets are over 40 years old. They were built when she had virtually unlimited funds. They then sat in a box for over a quarter century. Lastly, they were refurbished using very, very limited funds. So they don’t always work properly. The active powers can be weaker than expected, or outright refuse to work. A GM may award a Hero Point for this happening. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 4 + 14 + 4 + 2 = 26PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex) Attack: +4 Base, +6 Ranged Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +4 Knockback: -3 (-1 without Quantum Gauntlets) Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 3= 10PP Toughness: +6 (+2 Con, +4 Protection) Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3) Reflex: +5 (+1 Dex, +4) Will: +5 (+2 Wis, +3) Skills: 72R = 18PP Concentration 3 (+5) Craft (Electronics) 8 (+15) SM Craft (Mechanical) 8 (+15) Gather Information 9 (+10) Intimidate 7 (+8) Investigate 1 (+8) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 8(+15) Knowledge (Streetwise) 3 (+10) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+15) Notice 6 (+8) Search 1 (+8) Sense Motive 6 (+8) Stealth 4 (+5) Feats:14 PP Accurate Attack Attack Focus (ranged) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Improvised Tools Inventor Move By Action Power Attack Precise Shot Skill Mastery (Craft [elec & mech], KN [phys sci & tech]) Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers:21PP (All technological) Device 5 (Quantum Gauntlets; 25 PP Container; FlawHard-To-Lose[/i]; Power Feat: Subtle (hide-able under a coat or some such) [21PP] Blast 8 (Power Feat: Alternate Power 1) (Quantum Blast) [17PP] AP: Move Object 8 (Heavy Load 3.2 tons) (Magneto-Gravitics) [1PP] Flight 2 (25 mph, 220 ft/rnd) [4PP] Protection 4 [4PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage Quantum Blast Ranged DC 23 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities (26) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (18) + Feats (14) + Powers (21) - Drawbacks (0) = 105/115 Power Points

JETTE Power Level: 7 (105/105PP) Unspent Power Points: 0 Trade-Offs: -1 Attack /+1 Damage, +1 Defense / -1 Toughness In Brief: Silver Age techie sidekick turned bitter and cynical PI Catchphrase: Theme: (Optional) A theme song for the character. Alternate Identity: Caroline Cruz (Secret) Birthplace: New York City Residence: Hardwick Park, Bedlam, Wisconsin Base of Operations: Bedlam, Wisconsin Occupation: Private Investigator Affiliations: AEGIS (though not by choice at all) Family: Terry Cruz (disgraced billionaire businessman, not really dead), the Cruz family (very estranged) Description: Age: 58 (Born in 1960) Apparent Age: Late 30s Gender: Female Ethnicity: Puerto Rican Height: 5’ 5” Weight:130 lbs. Eyes: Light Brown Hair: Brown streaked with gray Appearance: Caroline pretty much just wears loose fitting clothing, most commonly jeans and dark colored shirts. Her shoes are battered sneakers, and she has an oversized leather jacket covering her Quantum Gauntlets. She doesn’t look nearly as old as she is, and is still in great shape. As JETTE, she wears a mask and a blonde wig to hide her identity. History: It started in 1963, with Caroline’s cousin Terry Cruz. He was a filthy rich industrialist in Freedom City. A witty, charming genius, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t like him. At least, that’s how Caroline remembers it. He invented a flight belt made out of inexpensive components. He then built a battlesuit around the technology, and became a superhero (The Human Rocket). He was never as famous as The Raven or the Centurion, and he never quite made it to the level of the Freedom League, but he did his part. In 1975, however, Terry made a fateful decision to follow a dream. Humans didn’t need to be stuck on the ground. He’d make it so everyone could fly. He needed a helper, so he recruited the then 15 year old Caroline (already a tech genius in her own right) and set to work. A year later, Caroline debuted as JETTE, and the flight belt schematics were published nationally. At first, everything was okay. Then a supervillain built a flight belt, redesigned for violence. Terry and Caroline defeated him, but he would not be the last one to try. Then a teenager figured out how to boost the speed and killed himself hitting above Mach 4. He too, would not be the last. It wasn’t that Terry didn’t care, though it may have seemed that way. Caroline saw him, late at night. Questioning if he had done the right thing. Raging against human selfishness and stupidity. Grieving for young potential lost. But Terry never asked for his design back. He did not recall his books. Never stopped encouraging humanity to take to the skies. In fact, he was rolling out plans to publish globally. He truly believed the world would be a better place if everyone could fly. Caroline, for her part, believed in her cousin. She freely gave her full support, speaking at events when he was unavailable and generally operating as his second in command. After all, he spoke with such passion about it, and he was as smart as she was. How could he be wrong? This was a problem. The world was at enough of a tipping point without revolutionary tech entering the equation. Terry was warned that if he continued there would be charges filed. For what? Helping humanity to fly? Ridiculous. Eventually, enough was enough. In 1978, Congress outlawed the flight belt, Terry was arrested. The prosecution’s case was simple enough. He had willfully disregarded that his flight tech was a danger to the public and in need of recall. Caroline was also arrested. It was an open and shut case. They both got over a decade of hard time. Between that, recalling all the published books (by court order), and the fines levied against Terry’s company, he was ruined. Both of them were barred from using their technological skill sets on a kind of permanent probation. After his release, a broken Terry dropped off the face of the earth. Caroline scraped by doing odd jobs and moving around a lot, until she moved to Bedlam in 2003. Here, nobody looked too closely at your record, and even her AEGIS minder (to make sure she isn’t tech’ing) that pops in now and again is virtually incompetent and probably corrupt as the rest of the law. She started doing unlicensed PI work to pay the bills. Soon afterward, she took her Quantum Gauntlets out of storage. They didn’t work, obviously. They needed refurbishing. But she needed the firepower. Bedlam was a tough place. And somewhere, deep inside, a hero’s heart still beat. Personality & Motivation: Caroline is bitter, cynical, and jaded. She’s seen what happens to visionaries who try to change the world for the better, and the worst that humanity has to offer. She has deep and intimate knowledge of how much people suck. So she drinks. Who wouldn’t? However, even 40 years gone, the altruistic core of who she is remains. Some things are just wrong. There’s lines she won’t cross and things she won’t allow to happen in her presence. Powers & Tactics: Caroline, wielding the Quantum Gauntlets, is essentially a blaster. Blast, blast, and blast some more. Maybe mix in a thrown item if she’s feeling fancy. She can fly, but this doesn’t often play a role in combat tactics. Really handy for getting the hell out of a bad situation, though. The energy flowing through her body makes her more resistant to damage, as well. Power Descriptions: 40 years ago, the Quantum Gauntlets were bulky whole hand, arm and shoulder blade covering monstrosities. The refurbish cut them down quite a bit. Without her big leather jacket they’re metal bands around her forearms with a thin strip of flexible metal running up her arms and meeting on her back. They do have a fingerless glove element, which is the control mechanism. But that can pass as regular fingerless gloves. What they do is allow her to channel quantum energy to manipulate the four fundamental forces. They’re not as powerful as they used to be, but they get the job done well enough for Bedlam. Complications: Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Caroline drinks. A lot. She admits she’s probably a functional alcoholic. The key, she says, is to celebrate the functional part of that term. She does keep it to outside of business hours, most of the time. But sometimes it can get in the way. Especially when humanity’s worst qualities smack her in the face. A GM may award a Hero Point when booze (or the unholy craving for booze) gets in her way. Using My Mind Is Illegal: Caroline isn’t supposed to be using her technological knowledge and skills under penalty of re-imprisonment. Her Quantum Gauntlets are a shining example of exactly what she isn’t supposed to be doing. She has an AEGIS agent (who may or may not be as incompetent as she thinks he/she is) assigned to her to make sure she isn’t tech’ing around who can drop by unannounced at any time. A GM may award a Hero Point if this becomes an issue. Broke As All Hell: Caroline doesn’t have money. She never has money. Her apartment is tiny, and doubles as her office. She doesn’t own a vehicle. Her diet sucks. A GM may award a Hero Point if she needs cold hard cash, as she has practically none. Quantum Failure: The Quantum Gauntlets are over 40 years old. They were built when she had virtually unlimited funds. They then sat in a box for over a quarter century. Lastly, they were refurbished using very, very limited funds. So they don’t always work properly. The active powers can be weaker than expected, or outright refuse to work. A GM may award a Hero Point for this happening. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 4 + 14 + 4 + 2 = 26PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 24 (+7) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex) Attack: +4 Base, +6 Ranged Defense: +8 (+4 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Grapple: +4 Knockback: -3 (-1 without Quantum Gauntlets) Saving Throws: 3 + 4 + 3= 10PP Toughness: +6 (+2 Con, +4 Protection) Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3) Reflex: +5 (+1 Dex, +4) Will: +5 (+2 Wis, +3) Skills: 72R = 18PP Concentration 3 (+5) Craft (Electronics) 8 (+15) SM Craft (Mechanical) 8 (+15) Gather Information 9 (+10) Intimidate 7 (+8) Investigate 1 (+8) Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 8(+15) Knowledge (Streetwise) 3 (+10) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+15) Notice 6 (+8) Search 1 (+8) Sense Motive 6 (+8) Stealth 4 (+5) Feats:14 PP Accurate Attack Attack Focus (ranged) 2 Dodge Focus 4 Improvised Tools Inventor Move By Action Power Attack Precise Shot Skill Mastery (Craft [elec & mech], KN [phys sci & tech]) Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers:21PP (All technological) Device 5 (Quantum Gauntlets; 25 PP Container; FlawHard-To-Lose[/i]; Power Feat: Subtle (hide-able under a coat or some such) [21PP] Blast 8 (Power Feat: Alternate Power 1) (Quantum Blast) [17PP] AP: Move Object 8 (Heavy Load 3.2 tons) (Magneto-Gravitics) [1PP] Flight 2 (25 mph, 220 ft/rnd) [4PP] Protection 4 [4PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 15 Toughness Damage Quantum Blast Ranged DC 23 Toughness Damage Totals: Abilities (26) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (18) + Feats (14) + Powers (21) - Drawbacks (0) = 105/105 Power Points