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OOC for this. Ask me whatever questions you want about that thread in this space. Also gonna be needed for dice rolls, naturally.

OOC thread for this thread. A strange visitor from another planet is here to turn us all into were-jaguars, and it's all Max Mars' fault! @Heritage @Tiffany Korta

Freedom City. Southside/Bayview Border. January 22, 2022. 2PM. Jimmy’s Shake Shack. GM Jimmy’s Shake Shack was exactly the kind of dive one would expect. It served burgers, hot dogs, French fries, and milkshakes. All of it was better than you’d expect, but no Michelin stars would ever be awarded. Terrifica picked it because Nevermore ought to know of it, and it was as calorie laden as Miracle Girl liked to eat. Her powers apparently demanded a diet higher in calories than most. There wasn’t a plan, really. It just seemed proper to introduce her new mentee to her old one. They could eat, talk, and then go on their way. She, naturally, had her ways of getting in touch with both of them.

GM April 20th, Wednesday, 2022, 11.30AM Guthrie Gallery of Energy Innovations, Freedom City University, Freedom City, USA Adorning the Gallery's entrances were banners inviting readers to "SEE THE FLYING ALIEN PYRAMID!", strategically augmented with "Free food!", "Live music!" and "Meet Max Mars!" Whatever else could be said about him, in this case all those things were true. Inside was an extravaganza of Max Mars' usual levels. The austere and functional layout of the Guthrie Gallery, a rotating exhibition of various energy sources from steam engines to a replica Omegadrone Power Pike, was coated in glitz and excess. On one stage, up-and-coming rock sensation Frank Larrabee sang about the misty forests and mountains of his hometown, Emerald City, and of the unsolved mysteries they hid from wondering eyes. On another, acoustically-isolated from the rock balladeer, metal band Spydor acted out the War of Taranok and Scorvicious, and on a third pop idol Silvia "Silver" Moon and the Moonlites danced through a confrontation with hereditary illness and the stigma against the chronically-ill. The technology making it possible for all three acts to be on at the same time without their performances interfering had its own mini-exhibit, replete with attractive salespersons. Booths pertaining to other recent inventions, including the Phobos V utility-phone, and advertising positions within MarsTech itself, packed the halls. The free food ranged from buffet-style steam trays to onigiri to fresh-baked pretzels, in quantities sufficient to feed even a crowd of university students and guests with families. And in the center, visible from all the arms of the Gallery, was the huge floating, pulsing nightmare of metal and stone that was the alien pyramid. A suite of technicians kept a careful eye on read-outs behind the cordon set up around the pyramid itself, a cordon guarded by smiling and uniformed representatives of Brande Mangement, a company so mysterious that all anyone really knew about it was that it hired superhumans as security personnel. In the shadow of all this, Max Mars, standing proud in his five-nothing frame cloaked in a resplendant red suit, held court and eagerly explained what the strange machine was and its ramifications. The crowd that had gathered filtered in and out, kept up to date everywhere in the Gallery on Max's endless patter through the P.A. system. "This is better than gold, folks! A working alien spacecraft! If you think anti-gravity is for your grandkids, you're in for a shock! With this baby we've picked out planets NASA wouldn't have found for another 80 years, at least! A food replicator, a database of languages we've barely begun to scan, and this ain't even it's full size! Before we dug it up, the people in that Mexican village thought it was just another hill! This is our ticket to the stars, people! Without having to wait until Americatech deigns to grace us with the answers, we'll make our own!" That last hit more of a sour note with the Freedom City crowd than it might have back on the West Coast. But Mars' other words, and the various gizmos around the central hall demonstrating the applications of this alien super-tech, left a much more positive impression. "And best of all!" Max's grin seemed barely able to fit on his red-bearded face, "We've found the space jockey who piloted this thing! He's been trapped inside, for thousands of years, and you'll be here when he says his first words to us! So stick around, folks, enjoy yourslelves, and get ready for an outta-this-world encounter!"

OOC for this. @Exaccus, @Heritage, @EternalPhoenix, @Brown Dynamite

Freedom City. Hanover. Terrifi-Labs. Sept 5, 2020. 11 PM. Terrifica Terrifica had an idea. Shockingly enough for the super genius. But it was a good one. The initial trial a while ago hadn’t worked out, for a variety of reasons. But this one would. Casey was quite reliable for this sort of thing. So…she just called her. “Hello, Casey? I’m in the Lab.” The original Crimebusters idea was still valid, but one administrator slash moderator simply wasn’t enough. “Yes, I have something big. I’ll need your help with-“ And as always, she cut Terrifica off, saying she would be there. “I really need to explain what-” No need for that, she was already on her way. And then, of course, the line was dead. Baffling. But Casey was Casey. Terrifica wouldn’t have her any other way.

GM Downtown, Freedom City October 31st, 2020 Sunset Howling. Everywhere, what used to be people were howling. Not everyone, of course. Just about 1% of the world's population were transformed, but 1% of the population of Freedom City? Now that was still a considerable number of people. Luckily, Freedom City was the home of super heroes! Everywhere you looked, you were bound to see a hero helping the day, restraining the werewolves and saving the people! If anywhere would be safe on this Halloween, it had to be Freedom City, right? For a moment, the howls were drowned out by a crack of lightning that the roof of city hall. A werewolf with white fur hovered above the building, pulling its mouth back to howl at the moon as another bolt of lightning struck above. It was wearing the tattered remains of a blue and white costum with a yellow lightning bolt on its chest, lightning crackling around its claws. It seemed not even super heroes would go untouched by the night of the wolves.

Miracle Girl In costume Power Level: 10/14 (225/250PP) Tradeoffs: +2 Toughness/-2 Defense Unspent PP: 27 In Brief: Super-strong teen with the gift of flight. Alternate Identity: Casey Blankenship Identity: Secret Birthplace: Colorado Springs, CO Occupation: College student Affiliations: Claremont Academy (alumni), FCU, Pi Epsilon Delta, Terrifi Family: Margaret Blankenship (mother), Col. Steve Blankenship (father), Josh Blankenship (older brother) Description: DoB: December 27, 1997 Gender: Female Height: 5'8" Weight: 145 lbs. Eyes: Green Hair: Honey-blonde Casey is a good-looking, athletic young woman with green eyes and long blonde hair. In her civilian identity, she typically wears her hair up and out of the way, and favors cotton or flannel shirts, loose-cut jeans and light hiking boots year round. An oversize shoulder bag made from natural hemp holds her whole life, including her MG costume. Casey still wears her old glasses, even though she no longer needs them; she feels they help to maintain her 'ordinary girl' cover, plus she just really likes the way they look on her! Casey's bio-energetic field is always active, but it is usually barely visible to the naked eye, manifesting as more of a healthy glow to her skin and golden luster to her hair. However if she uses her powers for more challenging tasks, the glow becomes far more visible and radiant. When she's active as Miracle Girl, Casey loses the glasses and lets her hair down, which tends to billow around her face when she flies, and she literally glows; yes, she knows it's a bit much, but it actually helps her maintain her secret identity! She also wears a form-fitting costume of red, white and blue with a gold belt with several pouches for gear. History: Casey's family lives in Colorado Springs not far from Peterson Air Force Base, and until recently she attended Air Academy High School. She's been an active Girl Scout since she was little, and she recently earned her Gold Award for building a wooden footbridge at a National Park near her home. Up until recently, Casey only knew her dad as US Air Force Colonel Steve Blankenship; she had no idea that her father actually worked for AEGIS as Vigilant ('America's First Line of Defense!') and would probably have never found out, due to concerns over national security. Casey has been around aircraft her entire life; her father began taking her up in his Cessna before she could ride a bike. It was during a weekend training flight that a bizarre accident occurred; a summer storm suddenly came upon the tiny aircraft, which was was struck by lightening as Casey hurried to get back to the airfield. The bolt passed right through both her and her father, somehow transferring some of his powers to her. After the incident, Casey was taken to a secure location where it was explained who her father was and how important it was that his identity be kept a secret, and she swore an oath that she would. When it was discovered she now shared some of her father's gifts, AEGIS contacted Headmistress Summers and asked if she could accept a new student. After graduating with honors from Claremont Academy, Casey enrolled in the journalism program at Freedom City University. She is also a member of the Pi Epsilon Delta sorority. She has also worked closely with the super-detective Terrifica, and considers her a friend and mentor. Personality & Motivation: Casey is thoughtful and outgoing, and makes friends easily, though sometimes she comes off as a bit of a goody two-shoes. She is passionate about volunteer work, and sees heroism as merely an extension of what she's done most of her life. She also loves the romantic notion of being a newspaper reporter like her grandfather who worked for the Miami Herald for thirty years, even though she knows in modern times it means less and less. Casey tries to tell the truth at all times, but understands that a secret identity does require the occasional 'white lie', as much as it pains her. Outside of journalism, her interests include almost any sort of outdoor activity (hiking, camping, skiing and white-water rafting are among her favorites), as well as reading, playing board games and shopping with friends. Casey has also loved aviation since she was a little girl, something her pilot father instilled in her; even though she can now fly under her own power, achieving her student pilot certificate is still one of her proudest achievements. Powers & Tactics: Casey is getting more comfortable with her powers, but is still working on her tactics; so far, Miracle Girl is a fairly straightforward fighter, primarily relying on her impressive strength and speed to get the job done. She can take a lot of punishment, so she's happy to draw fire away from less physical heroes or to protect innocents. Her super-breath offers her a good option to take out a lot of mooks at one time, her heatvision is very precise, and her keen eyesight and ability to monitor emergency frequencies give a heads up when danger is near. Miracle Girl's body isn't actually any stronger, faster or tougher than any normal human's; a strange golden bio-energy field, channeled through Casey's own brain, allows her to accomplish these feats. Psionic energy is capable of disrupting that field, meaning Casey is more vulnerable to mental attacks. She has come to appreciate the value of stealth and occasional trickery when fighting crime; though she tries hard to be a 'good girl', these minor deceptions give her a little secret thrill. Complications: "Yeah, he's my dad..." - Casey's father is Col. Steve Blankenship, aka Vigilant, 'America's First Line of Defense'. It's not quite as cool as it sounds. "I know he just wants me to be safe." If any of Vigilant's enemy's figure out who Casey is, they might try to get to him through her. "No, I really am a Girl Scout." Scouting has been a major part of Casey's life since she was five years old; she takes her pledge to the Scouts and their values very seriously. "There might be a story here." Casey is both naturally curious and has a reporter's instincts; if she thinks there's a wrong that needs to come to light, she will do everything in her power to expose it. "Are you going to finish that?" Casey needs to eat about twice as much as a normal girl her size to keep herself going. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 2 + 10 = 30 PP Strength: 30/14 (+10/+2) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: 30/14 (+10/+2) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP Initiative: +9 Attack: 6, Melee +6, Ranged +6, Unarmed +10, Heatvision +14 Grapple: +20 (+10 Str, Attack 6, Super-Str 4) Defense: 8 (+6 Defense, +2 Dodge Focus), 3 Flat-footed Knockback: -9 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 8 + 9 = 17PP Toughness: +12 (+2 Con, +8 Enhanced Con, +2 Protection) Fortitude +10 (+2 Con, +8 Enhanced Con) Reflex +10 (+2 Dex, +8) Will +10 (+1 Wis, +9) Skills: 128 Ranks = 32PP Bluff 5 (+10/+14 Attractive/+16 Mimicry/+20 Attractive + Mimicry) Craft: Structural 2 (+5) Diplomacy 15 (+17/+21 Attractive) Skill Mastery Disable Device 7 (+10) Disguise 5 (+10) Drive 2 (+5) Gather Information 5 (+10) Investigate 2 (+5) Intimidate 10 (+15) Skill Mastery Knowledge (Behavioral Science) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Current Events) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Earth Science) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Pop Culture) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Streetwise) 2 (+5) Knowledge (Technology) 2 (+5) Languages 4 (Arabic, ASL, Japanese, Spanish) Medicine 4 (+5) Notice 14 (+15) Skill Mastery Perform (Dance) 2 (+7) Pilot 3 (+5) Ride 3 (+5) Search 7 (+10) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 9 (+10) Stealth 8 (+10) Survival 4 (+5) Swim 5 (+7/+15) Feats: 20PP Attack Specialization 1 (Heatvision) Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed) Attractive Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 1 Improved Initiative 2 Improved Sunder Inspire 3 Interpose Leadership Luck 1 Precise Shot Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Intimidate, Notice, Search) Takedown Attack Ultimate Toughness Equipment: 1PP = 5EP 'Bug-Out Belt' contains: First Aid Kit 1EP Flashlight (headlamp) 1EP GPS Receiver 1EP Multi-tool 1EP Rebreather 1EP Powers: 4 + 16 + 18 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 + 18 + 13 + 15 = 104PP Communication 4 (Radio, 1 mile range) [4PP] Enhanced Constitution 16 [16PP] Enhanced Strength 16 (Power Feats: Alternate Power 2) [18PP] AP: Damage 8 (Freezing Breath, 80' length; Extras: Area [General, Cone], Selective, Flaw: Action [Full-Round Action]) {16/16} AP: Damage 6 (Heatvision; Extras: Ranged, Feats: Accurate 3, Precise) {16/16} Feature: Mimicry [1PP] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9PP] Impervious Toughness 8 [8PP] Protection 2 [2PP] Super-Senses 18 (Extended Hearing 3 [10,000 ft], Ultra-Hearing, Extended Vision 3 [10,000 ft], Infravision, Microscopic Vision 1 [Dust-Size], Radar, Radio, X-Ray Vision [Resisted by Lead, +4]) [18PP] Super-Strength 6 (Strength 60, Heavy Load: 50 Tons, Feat: Super-Breath) [13PP] Swift as the Wind 7 (14PP Array, Feats: Alternate Powers 1) [15PP] Base: Flight 7 (1000 mph) {14/14} AP: Quickness 14 (x50,000) {14/14} Drawbacks: (-3) = -3PP Vulnerability (Psionic Attacks, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [+50% DC]) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage Freezing Breath 80' Cone DC 23 Toughness Damage Heatvision Ranged DC 21 Toughness Damage Super-Breath Ranged DC 20 Reflex Trip TOTALS: Abilities 24 + Combat 20 + Saving Throws 17 + Skills 32 + Feats 20 + Powers 104 - Drawbacks 3 = 225/250 Power Points

Freedom City University Campus The North End, Freedom City, New Jersey Friday March 20, 2020, 12:24 PM The main quad of the FCU campus was more crowded that it had been in some months. But it was of little surprise that so many students had taken the opportunity to get outside for a bit in the middle of the day. The temperature had reached in the high-60s on this bright sunny day, though was supposed to drop overnight. Casey Blankenship was seated with several of her sorority sisters at a spot toward the center of the quad. Several of Casey's friends where chatting about how great that the weather would soon be getting warmer and discussing possible plans for renting a place somewhere along the Jersey Shore for Spring Break. Elsewhere on the quad, Nicholas Starkey emerged from the Student Union Building, his lunch in hand as he began scanning the quad for an open spot to eat, or a friendly face to join for lunch.

Somewhere. Sometime. April 9, 2020 Each of them woke up alone in a featureless white room with a single equally featureless automatic sliding door. Woke up in the general sense of coming to awareness, not having actually been unconscious. This was most odd, as they had decidedly not each been alone in a featureless white room the minute before. A few seconds’ worth of remembering would allow them to recall the air wavering in front of them, several seconds of blackness, an instant of nonawareness, and then the current situation. Any superhuman sensory abilities would not penetrate the walls of the room. The door would, of course, open if they approached it, revealing a featureless white corridor with another door not a full minute’s walk away at the end of it. This second door would also open, revealing a central room into which all of their hallways fed into. This room was decorated as if for a party, with a big colorful banner that said "WELCOME FREEDOM LEAGUE!", and a circular table with several chairs around it. All of the decorations were oriented towards the doors. A glance above their heads upon entry would reveal an inactive viewscreen and camera.

GM FCU June 10, 2019, 2am Maggie Rayburn was pulling a late night again. Internally, she chastised herself for leaving her paper to the last minute, but for some reason someone always seemed to be throwing a party on the nights she planned to work. Now, she had burned through her last extension and found herself staring at her laptop screen, trying to summon up the will to finish on time. She sighed, watching the cursor blink, and rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache brewing. Her eyes drifted down to the clock on her taskbar. 2am. Maybe a mocha would give her the energy she needed. She rolled her chair back from her desk and stood up. She looked down at her stained sweatpants, and wondered if she should change. Nah. She moved over to her desk and grabbed her wallet and keys, before cramming her feet in her high-tops and headed out the door. There had been talks of attacks at night around campus, but the parking lot wasn’t far and besides, Maggie had a can of mace so severe you could use it to blind a bear. Still, as she stepped out into the night air, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of fear run up her spine. She steeled herself, reminding herself that if she was scared now, Professor Xiu was infinitely scarier. She needed this coffee. She resolved to simply walk briskly, just in case. By the time she made it to the warm halogen glow of the parking lot, Maggie was sighing relief. She made her way to her car, laughing at herself for worrying at all. Yet as she went to slide her key into the car door, she felt a sudden pulse like frozen electricity through her body. She froze, her body unable to move except for the most minimal twitches and jerks as something gripped her from within her mind. She tried to scream, but her lungs and throat refused to cooperate. She could not so much as move her eyes, leaving her view locked onto her car door windshield, and the reflection of the figure that approved behind her. The distorted image was humanoid, a black shape with great white spheres for eyes. She could see it extending its hand out to her, and once more she tried to struggle, to move, to do anything. But she could not. She felt tears come unbidden to her eyes as the figure extended its hand, and laid its icy cold fingertips on her forehead. Somewhere in the bowels of her mind, Maggie could swore she heard something speak. “What a waste of a mind, Ms. Rayburn…” Then, there was another jolt through her, and Maggie felt everything go blurry. -- Zeb Simms sipped his coffee, feet up on the front security desk. Overnights paid well, but they were almost unbearably boring. If he wasn’t saving up for that new boat, he'd probably take a new shift entirely. Still, at the very least, it was usually pretty peaceful aside from the occasional too-young-to-drink-but-drunk-anyway college kid. His peace was disturbed, however, by a banging on the door. Zeb looked up from his coffee to see a pretty little blonde girl just going at it on the glass door. Her face was red, and it looked like she was crying. Immediately, Zeb mind raced to the worst and he immediately got up off his butt and rushed to the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. He didn’t even have time to ask what was wrong before the girl threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face deep into his shirt and sobbing. Rather than try and stop her, Zeb simply let her hold him and cry it out. Finally, after an uncomfortable few minutes, the girl looked up at him, sniffling and snorting. “I-I can’ read what's on the door… I… I used bu' I can anymo'…” she moaned. Zeb blinked, then looked over at the door. In bright, friendly letters were the words “FCU Building C”. He looked down at the girl, confused for a moment. Then a horrible realization rolled over him like a wave. “Oh, no, honey,” he said softly. “Oh I am so sorry…” He pulled his radio free from his hip, and called in. “Yeah, uhm... I got a report… Uh… damn. We got another one.”

The Rooftop Castle on the DuTemps Building. Friday, July 26th, 2019. 7:04 pm As first dates went for Casey Blankenship, this was the first; sure, she 'dated' Tim Krieger freshman year back in Colorado Springs, but that was mostly holding hands at Summer Bible Camp. She hadn't dated at all at Claremont, and despite the efforts of her sorority sisters, she'd yet to date anyone at FCU. But something about this new website intrigued her; just knowing your date was, well, different, somehow made everything much easier. She scanned the 'Men Looking For Women' listings in a matter of seconds, but only one listing really caught her eye. This Morgan, though... Messages were exchanged, a date was planned, somehow. Casey didn't want her date to feel uncomfortable, and they both flew, so she blurted out the one rooftop she knew in Freedom that combined an amazing view with a garden. A quick phone call to a simply delighted Daphne assured her that it would be 'totally fine' to meet her date on top the DuTemps Castle in time to eat while the sun set. Having no idea how normal people dated, the blonde powerhouse announced she'd bring the food, which thrust her into Martha Stewart mode; by 7pm, she had two folding chairs and a collapsible table set up, with a red and white tablecloth and a big wicker picnic basket. Since her date knew she was a hero, Casey opted to skip her glasses and wear her hair down; she'd picked a dark blue party dress she really liked, and did her best to not check her watch every five seconds, as she sat in a chair with her long legs crossed.

Summer 2019 Suddenly the door to the conference room opened, and a man entered. Well, depending on your definition thereof. Both Miracle Girl and Fulcrum had heard of the fate of Captain Thunder's son Bolt, the electric speedster and Claremont alum who'd recently been the victim of a horrific attack that had left him permanently transformed into energy now possessing a high-end robot. Bolt hadn't bothered with the kind of android features used by mechanical heroes before him; he had a featureless blue face and metallic body, with long blue cape behind him. "Hello, Miracle Girl, Fulcrum." He cocked his featureless head, then sat down at the head of the table. "Before we start," he said, his modulated voice serious. "I want to let you know that it wasn't my idea to do it this way, and I hope you won't hold it against me. Now!" he added, his voice suddenly light. "Tell me about yourselves."

Wednesday, June 19th, 2019, 2:02 PM Fulcrum sometimes wondered what radar operators thought of Freedom City. The newer systems could easily track something of her size or smaller. At least that is what the science magazines were writing. But planes and helicopters were one thing. Flying heroes? That she'd like to chat with someone in the know. Such were her musings as she descended toward home. Her flight path arced lazily westward across the blue waters of the Atlantic. Out there she could cut loose, but closer to land she slowed down to a more reasonable 200 mph or so. No need to shatter windows or capsize boats after all. Soon the familiar face of Centurion's memorial gleamed on the horizon below her. She smiled. Home. To those with keen eyes, a white and gold streak approached from the east and aimed for Sentry Statue.

West Gables Housing Unit, Pi Epsilon Delta Sorority. Saturday, August 17th, 2019. 8:04 am Despite it's reputation as a 'serious' sorority, PED was still part of Greek life, which meant the occasional party. And sometimes, these parties involved alcohol. Rather a lot of it, really. Everyone on the unit knew Casey Blankenship was hopelessly square, and they kind of loved her for it. Sure, she'd drink the occasional beer, but it never seemed to get her the slightest bit tipsy. But everyone also knew she never hogged the bathroom, always made a fresh pot of coffee in the morning, and would be the first girl to hold back your hair if you had to puke. And she was forgiving, endlessly forgiving. It was like a superpower. This Saturday morning after a major basketball victory, the blonde heroine tiptoed out of her room in her bathrobe, shower bag over one arm, quiet as a ninja out of respect to her hungover sisters. She was just passing the doorway to the common room when she heard unfamiliar snoring on one of the couches, and Casey knew how all her sisters sounded in their sleep. Her interest piqued, she floated into the room, quiet as a church mouse, her sandaled feet less than an inch above the floor. Peering through her glasses, her hair pulled up into a topknot on top of her head, she leaned down to whisper. "Hello?"

Here you go

West Gables Housing Unit, North End After the holiday's thing were settling back to normal at school, thanks to so many heroes around Freedom kept running despite the cold weather. And whilst some liked the dark and gloomy weather many in the House had decided they need do something to brighten up the winter and raise some money for those struggling in this weather. So after a quite enthusiastic night of discussion, it was decided to do a fashion show to show off some of the Colleges best designers. The show had been going stunningly well and many of the tickets had already been sold. Casey was in her room one dark and wintery morning when there was a knock on the door and Lola stuck her head around the door, not even waiting for a response. "There a woman in the Common Room to see you, says you know her." from the sound of this mysterious stranger had caught Lola attention.

1959 Conway & 25th, Lincoln, Freedom City 7 am 18th June 2018 It didn't matter how quick you were breakfast was still a flurry of activity, cat and child to feed and get and superspeed couldn't make water boil any quicker or toast to brown perfectly. And of cause when Dancia was meant to have her new Intern and superhero colleague of several adventures, she was of cause running late. She was quite proud that over the last couple of years that she'd earned enough cache at the Ledger that she was able to convince them to let her take on an Intern, even if it meant she'd have to do all the related work. not that she minded, in fact, she was looking forward to the challenge. Even with all her enhanced senses she was distracted and didn't notice her new Intern imminent arrival, some in the house had and just before they arrive at the door it was opened. "Hi there I'm Katie Melitta Devons-Leeds and I'm eight years old!" With a smile, the young girl offered out a hand. She looked very much Dancia, except for a head of extremely blonde hair.

The OOC thread for here.

Saturday, May 18, 2019 Bayview Heights 9:53 PM Miracle Girl It was quite a warm evening, considering it still was the middle of May. Which was a good thing, because the outfit that Casey was wearing wasn't exactly winterwear. Sure, her powers meant that even if it came down to it, the cold wouldn't be too bad, but the warmth was appreciated nevertheless. It wasn't her own outfit. One of the other girls in her sorority had gotten an invitation to an "exclusive party" up at Bayview Heights, and had decided to bring-slash-force Casey along with her. The invitation, quite a fancy letter, specified goth outfits, but fortunately, her housemate could provide one of those. And so the two of them made their way up Bayview, having been dropped off by a friend who was visiting her boyfriend who lived nearby. The party was held in one of the mansions that dotted the area. As Casey and her friend approached, it was quite apparent which mansion. Although officially the party only started at 10, it seemed that quite a few people had arrived earlier, as faint music could be heard (even with just human hearing), and through the windows, one could spot the changing colours of lights, synced with the music. The gate to the driveway stood open, and on it, a few people were chatting amongst themselves – all dressed in goth style clothes as the invitation had specified. Up by the door, the doorman stood, staring into the distance blankly. Dead Head Burt had been tracking this particular case for a few weeks now. It was quite a peculiar one – he'd essentially stumbled across it on accident, it was different from what he'd seen in his long career, yet most of its individual aspects seemed familiar. The latent magical energy that was just part of living in Freedom nowadays – especially ever since the last Invasion – showed more disturbances than usual. And the fact that cemeteries were involved in a lot of them meant that this was firmly in Burt's domain. But finally, he'd found a solid lead. It was more of a hunch, really. But it was a hunch that seemed about right, because energy was gathering in one place, streaming in from all over Freedom and even beyond. It was subtle, and Burt probably wouldn't have noticed it had he not visited a few cemeteries right after one-another on a patrol, but something was here. Inside this manor, which seemed to be hosting some kind of party. Was it related to what he was investigating? Perhaps.

May 28, 2019. Freedom City. Bayside Mall. 2 AM. The police lights were bright as they hauled the weapons traffickers away. Terrifica was tired. She turned to go, and she was not alone. Her partner, Miracle Girl, was by her side. “That was profoundly annoying.” MG sighed. “Tell me about it. Did they really have to break out the-” “Heavy plasma cannon?” Terrifica indicated her half incinerated longcoat. “I believe the phrase is, ‘you’re preaching to the choir.’ I liked this coat.” MG smiled, amused. “No, I was talking about the electro mines. That last one hurt.” They reached the Terrifi-cycle, and Terrifica leaned against it. “They had more than one of those? I was too busy punching them to notice. Ah, and that reminds me. It was…ugh, three years ago now. Electro mines, gauss rifles, magnetic frag grenades.” She smiled while sighed contentedly. “I do so like it when the wannabes have a theme and stick to it. Do you remember?”

FCU Student Union Raphael had only heard the voice of the woman who would be teaching him. She said they would meet here at this time. So he decided to leave a little bit early. There was no work today. The parlor didn't have the hours for him. He felt the need for a run. It was a beautiful day. But no, he had to get this tutoring. She sounded nice, his prospective tutor. About what he'd expect from an American voice. He's still not seen her. He sat at a table, reading a textbook. He never knew why paper books were so expensive when a program file could replace them cheaply. Still, the few hundred dollar investment would be repaid. Hopefully. Math was so much easier to understand than words. It was his major after all. English courses were for getting a better grasp on the language. Not really needed, but, well, really needed.

GM April 25th, 10:00 a.m. West End, Sid's Cafe After a few more messages sent back and forth, a meeting time and place had been set for Sid's Cafe. It had everything the heroes could want, ranging from coffee and baked goods to cider and salads, but most importantly, it had a small, second floor dining room that they could reserve. With four walls, a closed door, and creaking stairs leading up, it provided ample privacy to discuss their business while also satisfying the desire of some for a public meeting place. Arriving at Sid's gives a warm welcome in the form of tempting aromas. Judging from the crowd of people in the bottom floor happily chatting as they sip their coffee, brunch seems to be a busy time for Sid. Thankfully for those who order food, the staff behind the counter keep the line moving quickly and efficiently. The decor is precisely what one would expect from a highly modern cafe. None of the tables are of the same design, nor are the chairs. The only common thread between them is that they are wooden. The restaurant has a purple wallpaper decorated with fleur-de-lis, although hardly any remain visible under the mass of pictures and various idiosyncratic junk mounted on the walls. Regardless of one's tastes towards the design choices, the second floor proves adequate for the heroes' devices, sequestered away from the customers downstairs. The table in the middle of the roof is large enough to accommodate eight, although on one side it has a long, purple sofa instead of chairs. Along the walls of the room are three more tables, all designed to seat two people. Along one wall and leading out onto a veranda are a pair of french doors letting in the majority of the room's light. Judging from the hum of muffled conversation from below, it is apparent that the walls are thick enough to keep a quiet conversation within the room.

Wharton State Forest, just off Sorrow House Road Right Now The creature in the clearing lounged in a throne made of bone enjoying there first taste of freedom in centuries. It had expected someone to try and stop its return but was really disappointed by the effort, only a single human female had tried to stop them with her flaming sword. She was now held by some of the skeleton warriors, servants of old returned to carry on there servitude. The glowing green eyes beneath her hood was a nice touch they'd have to determine how she managed such a trick. "Did you expect to be able to beat me all by yourself pitiful human?" "Not exactly." the woman voice had an accent unfamiliar to them "Let me tell you how this all started a..."

March 31. The Internet. 11:45 EST It wasn’t always easy, but the superheroic costumed detective (among a few other things) Terrifica had sent out her carefully worded invitations. Terrifica herself was at home in Boston. Her husband was still awake, but her two children slept the sleep of the very young and carefree. She had taken great care to retrofit this particular chat room software (“borrowed” from a certain popular program) to be invisible to all but the most dedicated searchers. No program or system was entirely unhackable, but there was something to be said for going under the radar to avoid being hacked in the first place. The ultimate purpose of the chat room was the same as the invitations. Terrifica’s very nature precluded not looking into mysterious or suspicious circumstances, and what she found was often criminal in nature. Therefore, it needed stopping. And while various law enforcement bodies were quite capable in their own right, there were situations they were not fit to handle. Situations that required a…superheroic touch. Terrifica interceded in this situations when she could, and requested assistance from her protégé and friend Miracle Girl when she could not. However, this still left certain situations unresolved. This would not do. She had wrangled with it for the better part of a year, but there was no realistic choice. She would have to outsource further. To that end, the invitations (one time use links, as she would provide permanent ones to the regulars) and the chat room. She had informed Miracle Girl in person a few days ago, and requested her presence as well. LittleMissTerrific loitered alone inside of it for now, a welcoming message (Welcome to Crimebusting Monthly!) and a short list of rules (1. Be civil to each other. 2. Respect each other’s privacy. 3. Try to use common sense.) pinned to the top of the general channel. There were four channels. #general, #herostuff, #suggestions, and #askagenius. Contrary to what those who didn’t know Terrifica well might think, #askagenius was not where Terrifica would be replying to questions. She had a bot for that, linking to Wikipedia and various other pertinent websites for information. All that there was left to do…was wait.