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Liberty Park Freedom City, New Jersey Friday February 21, 2025. 5:30 PM During the recent long weekend trip to Fiji with their friends and classmates, Lynn had told Jack that her adopted parents (in particular her adopted mom) had wanted to have him over for dinner. Apparently, it was part of Megan Howell-Harrow's desire to get to know the significant others of her children (adopted or otherwise) a bit better. Lynn had tried to assure Jack it was not because of the number of times their dates, or just other time spent together, had ended up in some sort of super battle (again emphasizing how her adopted mother was well aware of how frequently that could occur). The blonde teen had also insisted it was not because her adopted mother questioned Jack's intentions with her sixteen-year-old adopted daughter (though Lynn had reluctantly admitted it might be a small part of it). Lynn had even noted that her parents were doing the same thing with Lawrence's girlfriend. Of course, it was hardly uncommon for teenage boys to be somewhat worried about spending time with their girlfriend's parents. The fact that Lynn's adopted mother was the world-famous superheroine Velocity and member of the Freedom League, likely did not make things any easier. So, to try to help with the anticipation, the couple had planned to have a little date before going to dinner. A little after classes ended for the week, Lynn had driven them over near Liberty Park, parking the BMW SUV in a parking structure near Millennium Mall. They had stopped briefly at the Liberty Perk coffee shop across the street from the east side of Liberty Park to get some coffee and then continued over to the park. They had briefly stopped outside the park, near the Southern entrance next to the grand lawn, to have a kiss at the spot they had first met eight months earlier. They then continued into the park, taking their time to follow the paved roads that wound through the park to eventually reach the northwest corner of the park, where the botanical gardens were located. The gardens were located among a series of smaller paths that radiated out from a central area like spokes, the rows of plants and trees set out between the many paths, although most of the plants were currently dormant for the winter. At the center of the gardens, next to the large greenhouse building for more exotic plants, was a large circular reflecting pool. With the cold winter weather, the shallow reflecting pool had been frozen over and was being used as an open-air ice-skating rink, which was operated by the City to help provide some of the funding for the gardens’ operation. The setting did feel rather special, being out the cold night air. To the east, across the north end of the park, could be seen the skyline of downtown Freedom City. To the west were several tall, high-end condominium buildings. To the north was the south edge of Freedom City University's campus, most prominent being the large stadium for the university's football team and other outdoor sports teams. Lynn skated out onto the large frozen reflecting pool with graceful ease, her superhuman agility and balance making her movements seem effortless. The blonde teen casually turned so she was skating backwards as she looked back with a small smile. "Come on Jack." She said as she continued to skate backwards. Tonight, she was wearing a pair of dark navy jeans, a white puffy winter jacket, along with a red scarf and gloves.

Night Howl Power Level: 10 (150/150) Trade-Offs: None In Brief: Intrepid reporter by day, werewolf crime fighter by night Alternate Identity: Layla Shaw Birthplace: Freedom City Residence: A rented room in a manor in Lantern Hill Occupation: Reporter at the Freedom Ledger Catch Phrase: She's still working on that one Theme Song: Howl - Florence and the Machine Description: Age: 27 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian/Middle Eastern Height: 5'10" in human form, 6'6" in werewolf form Weight: 160 lbs in human form, 280 lbs in werewolf form Eyes: Hazel Hair: Brown, mid-back length In her human form, Layla is a tall, slim woman with a fit figure. She has long brown hair that she lets down at most times. She has beige skin, taking after her mother's Mediterranean heritage in this regard. While she dresses up when her job requires it, she prefers to dress casually, wearing jeans, functional sneakers, and simple tops. In her werewolf form, Night Howl is a tall, broad humanoid wolf, covered in fur the same color as Layla's hair. She is equally comfortable standing on her hind legs or one all fours. She is typically seen wearing tattered clothes, Hulk-style. Layla is experimenting with options she can wear under her street clothes that can survive her transformation. History: Layla was born to Elliot Shaw and Nadine Deeb, two Freedom City natives who lived humble but happy lives. They owned a small business in South Freedom and were happy to serve the community there despite the struggles of living and working there. They faced regular harassment from local gangs, as they were particularly stubborn about refusing to pay protection money. They did their best to insulate Layla from all of this, but they couldn't anymore when someone set fire to their shop. While devastating, this was the inciting moment that inspired Layla to protect the people who needed it. She grew up to be a sharp, driven woman, making her choice to be an investigative journalist a natural fit. Landing a position at the Freedom Ledger straight out of college, she quickly proved her abilities on softer beats before being promoted to covering hard news and conducting her own investigations. She was a hungry reporter, constantly sniffing out new leads and aggressively pursuing them. She especially relished the chance to expose corruption within her beloved city and to root out organized crime entrenched in the less fortunate areas. Her natural charm, determination, and quick wit made her an ace in the field as she talked her way into wherever she could, and snuck into wherever she couldn't. Of course, her choice of career and the zeal with which she approached meant she was putting herself in danger. That was made abundantly clear to her one late night. She was walking quietly through a shipping yard, tailing a lead about a smuggling ring in the area. As she rounded one of the shipping containers, she found herself staring down a hulking, furry beast. A werewolf stood crouched in one of the lanes between the shipping containers, locking eyes with her. Layla immediately turned and attempted to run, but the beast was on her in an instant. She woke up hours later, seriously injured, but alive, much to her own surprise. She had been left exactly where she had remembered being, in the middle of the shipping yard, discovered by a random worker there. She rushed out of there, and after having her wounds cared for, went back to work, investigating the original smuggling ring and now looking into the presence of the werewolf at the shipping yard. However, she kept the exact circumstances of her injuries close to her chest, out of fear of drawing attention to herself and compromising her investigation. Layla first noticed subtle changes. Enhanced senses that gave her an almost preternatural ability to perceive details. The hum of machinery at the Freedom Ledger became unbearable, and the scents of cologne, coffee, and ink mingling in the office seemed sharper and more intrusive than ever. She chalked it up to lingering trauma from the attack, though deep down she knew exactly what was happening. The confirmation came during the next full moon. Her muscles ached in ways she couldn’t explain, as if she’d run miles she couldn’t remember. The memory of the night before was a blur—fragmented images of her slipping out into the city streets, the cold air on her fur, the rush of adrenaline as she ran faster and farther than she thought possible. She now had proof. The werewolf attack had turned them into one of them. While she initially withdrew in fear, Layla was nothing if not resilient. She threw herself into researching her new condition, learning how to keep it under control. With time and effort, she was able to harness her wolf form while retaining her mental state, sometimes even retaining control directly under the full moon. As she began to gain greater control over her transformation, she had a realization. She could use this curse to her advantage. Her wolf form had plenty of advantages of her normal human body; her heightened senses made tracking people a simple task. Her heightened strength and size made maneuvering into closed-off areas easy, and gave her a way to defend herself in dire straits. That realization is what led her to a new way to tackle her investigations. Now she continues to write for the Freedom Ledger by day, but at night she will head out into the city to follow her leads, and when necessary adopts her werewolf form, whether that be to track a person of interest or to intervene in a crime mid-occurrence. Her objectives remain the same as they always have. Protect the innocent. Expose corruption. And now, figure out the story of how she came to be this way to begin with. Personality and Motivation: Layla is clever, resourceful, and driven by a deep sense of justice. She is charming and blessed with quick wits and a sharp sense of humor. Her determination and drive to find the truth can make her come across as nosy and reckless. As Night Howl, her personality changes to a degree, partially as a deliberate act by Layla to conceal her true identity and partly due to inbuilt wolf instinct. Compared to Layla, Night Howl is quiet, focused, and strategically-minded. She can exude an unnerving sense of calm up until the moment she jumps into action, at which point she puts her feral nature on full display. Powers and Tactics: Layla's superpowered are primarily confined to her werewolf form. While she can take advantage of her supernatural regeneration while in her human form, aside from this she is simply a skilled reporter. As a werewolf, she is large, powerful, and much more mobile, and armed with sharpened senses that allow her to track a target across the city. While her werewolf form leaves her equipped for combat, Layla prefers to handle situations non-violently when possible. Her primary approach is almost always to talk her way through a situation. When she must resort to other tactics, she will stealthily gather intelligence, using her werewolf form when needed. If a situation does come to blows, Layla prefers to end the conflict quickly and decisively. She will attack from stealth when possible, and will always strike hard and fast, attempting to deal with the threat as quickly as possible before they can put their own plans into action. Complications: With Great Power Comes No Sleep: The nocturnal tendency of Layla's powers and the diurnal nature of her day job leaves little time for sleep. She gets by on copious amounts of caffeine, but she is regardless prone to energy crashes, which could be as mild as eating sleep for lunch, or as extreme as having a narcoleptic episode while on patrol. It's All Connected: Layla has a somewhat paranoid way of thinking. She looks for connections and conspiracies even where they're not likely to exist, on the hope that it is somehow the key to what she is currently researching. This regularly has her chasing after red herrings that waste her time. The Scent of a Wolfman: Animals tend to behave differently around Layla, usually displaying some level of wariness or nervousness. Layla's working theory is that she smells somewhat like a wolf to them, even in her human form. While she has yet to confirm it, she suspects that animalistic humanoids or those with a souped-up sense of smell may also be able to sense something off about her. Door in the Face: Layla's investigative work tends to make powerful enemies, and that's not even counting the supervillains and other criminals. She's exposed plenty of unscrupulous business practices, and corporate types are likely to take a dim view of her, especially when they have dirty secrets of their own. Abilities: 6 + 8 + 6 + 6 + 4 + 6 = 36 Strength: 16/26 (+3/+8) Dexterity: 18 (+4) Constitution: 16/26 (+3/+8) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 16 (+3) Combat: 8 + 12 = 20 Initiative: +12 Attack: Base +4, Melee +10 Defense: +10, +3 flat-footed Grapple: +18 Knockback Resist: -5 Saving Throws: 2 + 4 + 6 = 12 Toughness: +3/+10 (+3 Con/+8 Con, +2 Protection) Fortitude: +5/+10 (+3 Con, +2/+8 Con, +2) Reflex: +8 (+4 Dex, +4) Will: +8 (+2 Wisdom, +6) Skills: 88 Ranks = 22 Acrobatics 6 (+10) Bluff 9 (+12) Diplomacy 9 (+12) Gather Information 9 (+12) Intimidate 9 (+12) Knowledge [Current Events] 9 (+12) Knowledge [Streetwise] 9 (+12) Notice 10 (+12) Sense Motive 10 (+12) Stealth 8 (+12) Feats: 24 PP Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 6 Connected Dodge Focus 4 Improved Initiative 2 Luck 2 Move-by Action Power Attack Skill Mastery (Gather Information, Knowledge [Streetwise], Sense Motive, Stealth) Startle Takedown Attack Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Well Informed Powers: 4 + 38 = 42 Regeneration 6 (Recovery Bonus 2 [+6], Disabled 2 [1/hour], Injured 1 [1/20 Minutes], Staggered 1 [1/20 Minutes], Power Feat: Regrowth, Flaw: Source [Moonlight]) [4 PP] Werewolf Form, 41 PP Container (Drawback: One-Way Transformation [-3]) [38 PP] >Enhanced Constitution 10 [10 PP] >Enhanced Strength 10 [10 PP] >Protection 2 [2 PP] >Super Senses 7 (Low-Light Vision, Scent [Accurate, Acute, Extended 1, Tracking 2]) [7 PP] >Comprehend 2 (Speak to and Understand Animals, Flaw: Limited to Canines) [2 PP] >Combat Array, 8 PP Array [10 PP] >>BP: Strike 2 (Extras: Penetrating 3, Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical 2) [8/8 PP] >>AP: Enhanced Feats 8 (Fearsome Presence 8 ) [8/8 PP] >>AP: Leaping 3 (180 ft running jump, 90 ft standing jump, 45 high jump) + Speed 3 (50 mph, 440ft/rnd) + Super-Movement 1 (Sure-Footed) [8/8 PP] Drawbacks: Involuntary Transformation: Full Moon (Uncommon), DC 15 to overcome [-3 PP] Vulnerability: Silver (Common, x1.5 DC) [-3 PP] Totals: 36 + 20 + 12 + 22 + 24 + 42 - 6 = 150 PP