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GM Just past midnight March 6th, 2021 In the shadow of the Doomforge The House of Usher had returned. The Raven had been after them for months at this point. He had researched the old Ushers that the previous Ravens had fought. He had been following any leads, stopped any of their operations he could find. All that he had learned was that they were back and their influence on Freedom City was growing. They had yet to meet another Usher directly. A recent operation had uncovered one new piece of information, at least: The Ushers' base of operations were somewhere in Kingston. And so, Raven and Nevermore headed towards Kingston, in the shadow of the Doomforge...

OOC for this.

Many students were meeting their mentors in classrooms, the auditorium or nearby, the library, or various somewhat-private spots out on the ground, etc, no one had "laid claim" to the Doom Room. Not publicly, anyways; yet, days before the scheduled Mentor Day, the Room had nonetheless been booked for several hours. No names were in the system, just a letter: R. Everyone who cared could intuit what it meant. When young Calliope Summers walked into the room, it was the bare metal and grids of power lines and projector nodes of the actual Doom Room. Gleaming and shining in the too-bright lights. Standing directly in the middle, with his back to her, stood the current Raven. His armored cowl was off of his head and held under one arm, and he was seemingly staring at nothing in particular as she approached. When Callie was about halfway between the door and the Raven, he spoke. Only then would she notice that the observation room's windows were completely darkened and polarized, and Alek had been watching her in the reflection from those windows. "Glad you could make it." He turned around, his cape naturally flowing in a way that other heroes found maddening to replicate, and that Callie knew was thanks to the materials and weight of the multi-purpose "accessory". "So. Today, it's just the two of us. Your father, your older self, Charlie, everyone else, they're busy with other things. Even the alternate of your father; I think he's in the Rookery poking that suit of his." Alek's tone is neutral. He's not one for mind games, but he will occasionally test the younger heroes who work with him. He had already made it clear to Callie, more than once, that he did things the way he did for a reason, and they were always his own reasons. "I feel like, by and large, I have a good sense of your abilities, your skills, and your style of fighting. We get practice on that every week, if not every day. I'm certainly willing to talk about that, if you'd like. But my interest today is more fundamental. Callie..." Only now did he take his cowl and place it on his head. His hands came off of the sides, and even as the tiny armor plates clicked and moved into place, his voice was automatically altered and masked. "Why do we do what we do?"

Let's have initiative and Fort saves, everybody!

Late June 2021 The Iceberg A dark, sleek dynamo at five foot three, Kalinda Kaur had moved through the AEGIS base with a bright smile and firm handshake. The Vice-President was known as a critic of law enforcement outside but inside she'd been nothing but professional, even friendly, as she'd met with everyone from Director Bonham to the lowest office drones. She was the sort of protectee that liked to bull ahead of her bodyguards without so much as a backwards look. Luckily they'd spent most of today down in one of the most secure sites in Freedom City. Special Agent Ashley Tran, on special assignment to the Vice-President's detail, had done her best to blend into the agents who occasionally had to jog a little to keep up with 'Desi'. Jim Ward, the VPOTUS's usual detail head, had proved to be philosophical about the whole affair; something Ashley appreciated. This was supposed to be a big day. In just a week now, Paul Revere would make his Fourth of July debut as Patriot II - a new hero for a new generation! The program had been founded in the early days of the Cahill administration but the O'Connor administration had embraced the idea, even if Revere (who had been left quite the blonde, blue-eyed Aryan superman by the DNAscendant treatments he'd been given) wasn't quite the kind of person the O'Connor administration tried to promote. Ashley had heard about the program in its early days, even if her duty to Judith Cahill meant she was never seriously in the running for it. The man who had actually gotten the position? She'd met him, even sparred with him, having been brought in to test his facility with hand-to-hand combat. He was cute, certainly; she liked big, muscular alpha males and the fact that he was a cop wasn't bad. But something else was...not right. - The Iceberg was home to a small studio, where against a curtained backdrop, Revere was practicing his speech. He stood behind the podium and gave the cameras a winning smile as he continued: "Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, "We don't know how lucky we are." And the Cuban stopped and said, "How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to." And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth. And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man. Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves. You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I'd like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There's only an up or down - [up] man's old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism..." "Well he certainly can handle himself in front of the camera," said the Vice-President thoughtfully, "even if he does sound he's Ronald Reagan personified." She looked a little skeptical, but many of the agents in the room looked very interested in what the man had to say. Ashley knew for almost certain that one of the agents, a star-struck young sound engineer from Oklahoma, was actually sleeping with Revere on the sly. She hadn't said anything, but the number of people she could talk to about any of this was damn thin. "Beth, are the defense contractors on schedule?" Ashley knew for sure that they were; Alek and company wouldn't be late without finding a way to let her know, so while the Vice-President (and technical head of the project, answering only to the POTUS himself, who was back in DC getting ready for the holiday) chatted with her immediate staff, Ashley looked around and spotted maybe the only other person in the whole Iceberg whose knowledge of superhuman tactics wasn't theoretical. "Agent Zermeño," she said cooly from behind her shades, "a word?" She cocked her head towards the studio control room door.

9:00 am Monday 28th September 2020 Summers Advance Designs, Jasmine House, Downtown West 66 Downtown West 66 was a rather modest skyscraper that housed a legacy of the Summer’s family, one that could be coming to an end very soon. The massive Majestic Industries corporation was looking to buy out the company, what with Jerome King holding a place on the board. They were obviously hoping that the Summers had no interest in the future of a company they had little to do with for the last couple of decades, but a Summers never lets go of the past easily, especially one that was specially to there beloved…

GM 3:25 AM, 1st of July, 2021 Kingston, North Freedom Criminal activity had recently been on the downturn in Kingston, despite its desperate populace, low police presence, and proximity to the dread Doomforge. Many, especially those outside of Kingston, attributed this to the hideous heat that had been overwhelming the city of late, while others pointed to the hero activity several months prior in the Doomforge giving criminals something to think about. People in Kingston and the FCPD knew otherwise. Unconscious criminals have been discovered bound to streetlamps, ladders, fire escapes, and more. Normally, this would be cause for relief, but the state they have been found in is of great concern - their bodies slashed and cut, pierced with extreme prejudice. Though they have all survived, the fact that their wounds were so vicious has many dreading the dark. The Raven also heard even worse news - scattered about the scenes, and sometimes still sticking out of the criminals were small, sharp shuriken stylized as talons, and the terrified criminals reported being attacked by a cloaked figure with the mask of a raven. Regardless of how effective this new vigilante was, they were causing the innocent to fear as much as the guilty, to say nothing of the fact that they were besmirching the name of the Raven.

This is the OOC for this thread. To be perfectly clear: While this may start off as an antagonistic meeting, there will be no PvP, and Sable Raven is intended to work with the Raven, even to respect him.

The Boardwalk Freedom City, New Jersey.Thursday, April, 2nd 202010:00 PM "I'm telling you. Frank has the best hot dog cart on the Boardwalk. Back when I had a penthouse here, It was my stakeout food of choice" Foreshadow told Raven before taking a bite. The prescient acrobat's cape fluttered in the wind as he stood on the sign of a run down hotel. The sign flickering in the night. The heirs to two heroic legacies in Freedom City had met up to discuss an auction that supposedly included powered individuals as items of sale going on in the Atlantis casino. "Oh! The kid's good. Solid nine out of ten for style." Down below the latest hero to don the mantle of Archer had been following an armored car that was transporting bags of cash from a casino. It had been stolen in the morning by a group of five ex special forces soldiers. The driver employed by the armored car company. They had almost gotten away with it until Archer tracked them down leading to a pursuit through the streets of the Boardwalk. Just now two thermite arrows that had been placed before the chase had started were set off from tire welds. Sending the vehicle careening in such a way so that the armored car was actually stuck in the one way entrance of an alleyway the opposite end blocked off by the back entrance to a meat market. The crash location gave both heroes perched above a clear view of the processions below. Two of the thieves came out into the alleyway with riot shields. Which provided them a degree of protection, but not to the degree that staying inside the armored car.

GM An abandoned warehouse in Kingston 11:30PM, August 18th, 2020 The Raven and Bowman families had been in Freedom City for generations. Beyond working together in the Freedom League or chance meetings, there had been little coordinated effort between what might perhaps be the city's two most well known sources of unpowered heroes. Both families had recently expanded. New, young heroes in training. Both the newest Arrow and Nevermore would attend Claremont Academy soon. At headmistress' Summers suggestion, the fourth Bowman and the third Raven had arranged a playdate for the fourth Arrow and the second Nevermore. It was a simple job. One where the experienced heroes would be able to keep their sidekicks safe with little issue. It would serve as a simple training exercise. Nothing serious, a weapons deal going down in an abandoned warehouse in Kingston, far away from the Doomforge. It would all be very simple and easy. Maybe a few stray bullets at worst. No civilians to keep safe, just the other heroes. What could go wrong? The group of heroes were positioned on the roof of a nearby building with a clear vantage point of the supposedly abandoned warehouse. It was all concrete and glass, several ways inside. It was supposed to be empty, but of course it wasn't. The four heroes could see lights moving around inside. The Bowman kneeled by the edge of the roof, holding a pair of binoculars to his eyes. "I count at least 12 people in there. There's probably more, staying away from the windows." He lowered the binoculars, then looked back over his shoulders at the rest of the heroes. "How do you want to do this?"

OOC for this. @Cubismo @KnightDisciple

Summers Manor, North Bay, Freedom City, New Jersey 18:00 EDT, 6th April 2020 Whilst Callie had mostly stayed at the Penthouse during her visits to Freedom City she had visited the manor a few times to see where her Grandparents had lived, the ones she knew about at least. Still she’s wasn’t quite ready to visit dad yet and since she was in town to visit St Thomas’s, she still wasn’t use to calling it Claremont’s, she figured she’d pop in to check out the old place. Her keys even still worked, or at least they needed much better unpickable locks, and she swing the doors open hand in her leather jacket as she peered into the gloomy hallway. She was taking it all in as if this could be taken away from her at any moments, and after all nothing exciting could be going on here...

Warning: This thread may include depictions of gore. Outside the Lantern Hill Cemetery, Lantern Hill, Freedom City Saturday, the 29th of August 2020 11:30 PM Rumors had been spreading about the increased tension in Lantern Hill after the first grave had been vandalized a month ago. The grave in question, that of the recently deceased Gordon Reid, had been mutilated as though someone had attacked it with a knife. Since then, it was said, all manner of ruffians had begun sneaking into the Cemetery after dark, avoiding the attentions of the warden, and had been defacing graves themselves. Most of the time the graves were discovered with rude symbols painted on them - disrespectful, yes, but well within the scope of "children acting up." In the last few days, however, someone had gone beyond that - one grave had been painted with the most vitriolic condemnations of the corpse that lay beneath it, cursing him with foulness that was simply put, outright hate speech. Thus it was that a pair of heroes approached the cemetery to both put a stop to the violation of this sanctuary of the dead and, perhaps, for their own reasons.

The OOC thread for this IC thread.

For this. Obviously, I won't be killing Dominic. But whether justice is served? Well that's up to you all. We'll see how it goes.

In the past year, three racing champions had been murdered by, of all things, an archer. The shots were, in a word, impossible. The female sailor racer had been killed at sea, with nothing around for miles. The male dogsled racer was found when his dogs dragged him and his sled back into town. There’d been a killing blizzard that had shut down travel to the miles wide region for over a week, and the locals swore up and down nobody else had set out on the trail. The third had been a female marathoner, struck down in the American Southwest while training. In the desert. With several witnesses who swore nobody else was around for miles. September 28, 2018. Freedom City. Just outside Ashton and Grenville. Horizon Festival Main Stage. 9 AM. There would be over a hundred different races held, in varying skill rankings. Anyone with a driver’s license and an automobile that could pass an inspection could enter at the lowest level. The highest, however, was reserved for those who had proven their superiority over the competition. At stake? Honor, pride, and a trainload of cash. The Horizon Festival had come to Freedom City, and it was a madhouse. It was a street rally racing event primarily, but you wouldn’t know it from the stages set up what seemed like all over town. There was going to be three dozen bands playing at one time or another the entire weekend. Vendors had set up in sight of what seemed like every stage. Mechanics Alley was also open to onlookers, even if only the pro cars had slots booked in it. Because oh, yes indeed. The world’s finest street rally racers had followed the Festival to Freedom. Dominic Cortez was the grudgingly acknowledged best street rally racer in the world. He wasn’t worried about anything today. He’d drive in the kickoff race, but only for a lap. Any real racing, for him, wouldn’t be until tomorrow afternoon. As the world’s #1, he was automatically entered into the S class, highest at the Festival. The people who were worried were his agent and mechanic, Darius Greer and sister Sofia. He only trusted blood to work on his wheels. After the last murder, racing champions had gone into seclusion across almost all of racing. They only poked their heads out for events, and even then under astonishingly heavy security. Dominic Cortez was the sole exception. Leaning against the door of his car, he watched the MC blather on. The man was charismatic and effective, Dom would give him that, but honestly? Dom just wanted to get on the track already.

February 2019 Freedom City All your lies exposed - two worlds in collision! Deceiver - what will you do then? The best I can! Inside Copycat's faux-porcelain mask, Ashley George opened her eyes to where she crouched alone on the roof of one of Freedom City's more anonymous skyscrapers - a Brutalist tower that had survived the 1970s, two Terminus invasions, and various other crises with no more than now-repaired cosmetic damage. The flat rooftop (minus the usual equipment one found on the roof of tall buildings) was the sort no one would look too closely at in a city full of weird gargoyles, public art, and superheroes. It was actually the perfect place for a quiet conversation, especially if you were dressed like - well, dressed in a costume that had seemed appropriate when she was sixteen, an unholy merger of the Raven's cape and cowl and the white mask of someone cosplaying as a Chesire cat. She hadn't dressed as Copycat in more than a decade. But then this wasn't exactly a meeting Watchdog could attend; nor could Secret Service Agent Ashley George. She sat - and waited for Geckoman and the third Raven. She'd called, telling them there was a problem with her mission - but would they answer?

@Ecalsneerg @KnightDisciple Let's see die rolls!

Early Summer 2018 Jordan International Airport The busload of tourists who had recently been getting ready for their tour of Freedom City were certainly getting an eyeful, thought Watchdog. As the driver recovered from the punch she'd landed on the side of his head, she had to wonder if the touring company was going to give them their money back. "You think you can smuggle poison dope in my city? Those kids _died!_" The truth was that Rodrigo here was a pretty low-level dealer, but a sound beating from a vigilante was just the thing to get him to lay off and move out of town. Or so the Raven had suggested, anyway, and so Ashley had passed on to her superiors. He hadn't actually killed anyone with the watered-down crap he was selling to the nightshift package handlers, but if he thought he had, he'd probably run off and do something stupid that would lead the Raven or the cops to his boss. "I didn't kill anybody I swear to God!" Rodrigo wept, putting his hands up as he braced himself against the side of the bus. "SWEAR TO ME!" responded Watchdog as she kicked him again, knocking him to the ground and drawing her pistols. She really did hate dealers, and that made it easy to put real menace in her voice as she advanced on him."SWEAR YOU DIDN'T POISON THAT LITTLE GIRL! GO AHEAD!"

Initiative! Watchdog: http://orokos.com/roll/609465 6 @KnightDisciple

Spring 2018 Outside Chris and Liz's Apartment Ashley remembered Chris - pretty and athletic, with a quick wit and a ready smile that had made him the subject of a whole lot of crushes. Maybe sixteen-year-old Ashley George, who'd spent her teen years behind heavy acne and thick glasses, had been one of those crushes. But ten years ago could be a long time, and she wasn't the same person she'd been back then. "And you're sure he won't mind us just dropping by like this?" With her hair up, folder under her arm, dressed in a dark suit, she didn't look like a teenager - something she'd have to take advantage of as long as she could. "I am fairly confident Christopher knows that you could find him easily enough," said Callie Summers as she knocked on the door. They'd managed to stay civil enough on the drive over here, probably because neither of them had said a word to each other once they were both in the car. "And you should."

April 2018 Bayview Freedom City Day 15 since D-Day. In Callie Summers' office, Ashley George was adding up how long it had been since she'd had a good night's sleep in a bed and she wasn't liking the answer. Maybe she should have left the office, and the city, once the final arrangements had been made, giving her more time to wrap up the personal life that she was about to set aside for two years - God, maybe more. Maybe she shouldn't have had that third cup of coffee the night before, denying her a restful sleep in between images of the White House in flames. What could have happened, what might have happened. Ashley George, the biggest hero no one in Washington was ever going to talk about. Silence had fallen in the headmistress's office, in between the ticking of the grandfather clock she'd inherited from her father, and looking across the table at the silent visage of her former mentor, all Ashley could think about was how old she looked. "You actually kept the picture," she finally said, not asking the question of why. She knew the frame well enough, even if it was actually pointed at the headmistress rather than the agent standing on the opposite side of the desk. She wasn't sitting; she wasn't a student here, not anymore. She hadn't seen the girl in it, sixteen years old and bursting with pride, for a long time. "You should take it down while we're here," she said, keeping her voice even. "It'll compromise things." "I will take that under consideration," said Callie Summers, giving her former protege that ever-maddening imperturbable stare. "Thank you for staying for this meeting. I want to make sure you and Raven are properly introduced." "...that's what he is, huh? Just Raven?" asked Ashley, her voice sharper than she'd intended. "Must make things easier."

Raven Power Level: 15 (built as PL 11; 205/250 PP) [Gold Reward Slot] Trade-Offs: +2 Attack / -2 Damage; +2 Defense / -2 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 45PP In Brief: The newest holder of the mantle of the Raven, the third hero to bear this name has large shoes to fill as he steps into this role. Alternate Identity: Aleksander Garen Nakani (Birth Name/legal name); Svarog (Name assigned by the Blood Dragons) Identity: Secret Birthplace: Rustavi, Georgia Occupation: College Student (Freedom City College); Crimefighter Affiliations: Raven "family"; Claremont Academy (Alumnus); Blood Dragon Society (former) Family: Henrik and Maral Nakani (biological parents, deceased); Loren and Melissa Barbeau (adoptive parents) Description: Age: 20 (DoB: December 12, 1997) Apparent Age: N/A Gender: Male Ethnicity: Armenian and Ossetian Height: 6'1" Weight: 200 lbs. Eyes: Grey Hair: Black Aleksander is an athletic young man, whose frame balances speed, agility, and power. Thanks to his "rigorous" upbringing and years of training under Callie Summers, he moves with an instinctive sense of balance and poise. His deeply bronzed skin has no blemishes, and his face is free of scarring. His forearms, hands, lower legs, and torso bear a scattering of small, light scars, the sort one would associate with intense martial training. The long, thin scars on his back, faded for years now, are decidedly not from training. His grey eyes peer out keenly from slightly thick eyebrows, always observing. He doesn't have the furtive manner one would associate with a guilty party; instead, it's the keen observation of all those around him, and his environment. When he does focus on an item, person, or object, his gaze can be quite piercing indeed. His face bears notable angles, but avoids the severity many might think such features would lend to him; his smooth, clean-shaven skin lessens the impact of his bone structure a fair bit. He almost seems to have trouble frowning, and quite often, Aleksander's smiling or smirking about one thing or another. If he becomes angry, though, it is somewhat like a storm rolling over the plains. His dark hair has just a bit of curl to it, and while he keeps it neat, it reaches down to the bottom of his neck. Typically he just wears it combed back, but when training he'll keep it tied in a tight ponytail. Typically, he dresses in comfortable, non-descript clothes with low-key colors. He tends to prefer pants and long sleeves year round, though in the summer he usually opts for lighter-weight materials than in the dead of winter. His only ornamentation seems to be an antique wristwatch; when pressed, he explains it was his birth father's, and is one of the few mementos he has of him. Raven's costume is a finely-engineered piece of crime-fighting technology, and it looks it. It's a full-body suit that leaves only the mouth exposed, and while it's somewhat obvious that it's multiple layers, the outside is virtually seamless. The whole suit has armor plating somewhat visibly sandwiched in everywhere, but covered with a solid layer of morphic molecules on the outside to smooth over its appearance. The suit's base color is black, with the belt (holding several secure pouches of equipment), chest symbol (a stylized raven, wings outstretched and beak pointed straight up, feet outstretched below), and a few lines on the gauntlets and greaves being a metallic silvery color. The inside of his cape is a dark grey-blue, helping blend in and break colors up a bit.The gloves/gauntlets, boots/greaves, pants, shirt, cape, and cowl are all separate pieces. When at rest, the cape's edge is a straight line, but thanks to the combination of the electroreactive "frame" inside of it, and the morphic molecules, when in "glide mode", the edges take on the appearance of a raven's wings spread in flight, or at least a stylized rendition of it. His head is covered by a smooth armored cowl that leaves only his mouth and chin exposed to the air. His eyes are covered by special lenses that appear, from the outside, to be somewhat milky-white when inactive, but faintly glow green when night vision mode is active. The suit bears a very robust belt-and-harness assembly that includes a multitude of pieces of compact equipment. Using low-scale nanotechnology alongside hyper-efficient space-saving tech, these modules and pieces of equipment can quickly be activated and deployed, be it as handheld tools or as plug-in modules on his base suit (which has a multitude of subtle connection points for various modules). Some may alter the appearance of his suit in various ways. Power Descriptions: Aleksander is an essentially normal human being. His time under the "care" of the Blood Dragon Society had them injecting him with various chemical mixtures meant to encourage the maximum potential growth, and he was fed a rigorous diet rich in some unique vitamins and minerals, but while he shows the potential to enter the very top tier of human performance, right now he shows no signs of mutation or any other true superhuman powers. Instead, his body is in peak condition for a man of 20, and he possesses more skill than most would think possible for one of his age (due to his...rigorous...care with the BDS). Some might describe Aleksander as a "living weapon", and truthfully, they wouldn't be entirely wrong. His physical fitness and sheer skill make him a formidable close-combat opponent. He consistently displays athletic prowess at the upper end of the human spectrum. Raven's costume is a masterful piece of crime-fighting engineering. The innermost layer is a thick, comfortable layer of thermal-insulated morphic molecules that help Alek survive extreme temperatures. Next is a layer of body armor, composed primary of thick, semi-rigid Kevlar plates that provide protection sufficient to deal with most regular small arms. The cowl contains lenses that can activate night vision, meaning even the darkest night is as bright as day to Raven. As well, an advanced communications suite is embedded under the armoring of the cowl. This system also works with some small microcomputers in his belt to give him up-to-the-picosecond accurate time, as well as precise geo-positioning data and magnetic north orientation readings. The belt also holds a number of tools useful for crime scene analysis, a fold-out tablet computer useful for taking notes and such, and a simple collapsible gas mask that fits over his exposed moth and provides an environmental seal and several minutes of clean air. The cape is composed of special electro-reactive morphic molecules that conform to a rigid frame when a very low but precisely calibrated electrical charge is run through them. While he has insufficient propulsion for true independent flight, Nevermore is capable of long glides. His ability for movement around the city is aided by special high-speed, high-power grapnel lines that are housed in his gauntlets (under the extra armor plating). Raven's belt and harness contain modules and gear that let him adapt on the fly to the situation in the field. Raven has had practice figuring out the best pieces to use in any given situation, but it's still a developing technology, so it takes him a few moments to reconfigure his equipment. Alek has full access to The Rookery, the large (hidden) cave-complex-based underground headquarters of the Raven, located underneath the Summers mansion. The facility is expansive and covers virtually every need a crime-fighter might have, with room for future improvements, as well as access to a large variety of tools, vehicles, and suits that he could draw on if needed. The most (comparatively) subtle vehicle out of his current arsenal is The Talon, a high-performance motorcycle which is one of Raven's primary means of transportation across larger portions of Freedom City (with his grapnel/glider cape combo being used for more precise positioning in specific areas). While unarmed, it is a tough, fast vehicle that bears a solid security system to prevent bike-jacking. The overall construction is rugged, with the bike mainly sporting two seemingly over-sized tires (each with an independent electric motor for power), and a central "pod" with rugged armor plates, special steering "arms", and a simple voice-activated computer that has an always-updating navigation program. It is currently capable of speeds approaching the fastest performance road cars, though Raven rarely pushes it to that speed. A more recent addition to the garage of the Rookery is the latest iteration of the Unkindness, the full-sized automobile of the Raven. The latest in a long line of vehicles, this version of the Unkindness is some great and terrible fusion of a race car, an APC, and a fighter jet. The dark vehicle is plated with enough armor to shrug off massive amounts of fire; the outer skin can be configured to either somehow hide the enormous automobile, or make it capable of completely ignoring anything up to the heaviest guns or explosives. As well, the wheels can be kept close to the body for greater transit speed, or spread out on variable-geometry "arms" that give the Unkindness unparalleled stability on even the worst terrain. With its advanced suite of sensors, communication, and life-support gear, it's practically a headquarters on the move. It's also armed with enough less-than-lethal weaponry to take out an entire company of soldiers and vehicles. The sonic disrupter cannon stores away behind the driver compartment of the Unkindness, and can be configured to either fire single "shots" at specific targets, or blast out a cone of dizzying sound accompanied by a multitude of bright, flashing lights. Strapped on either side of the "barrel" of the sonic cannon are the prongs for the Targeted EMP Cannon, a device that allows the Raven to disable most any modern electronics with just a few button presses. History: Aleksander Garen Nakani should have been a perfectly normal boy born in the country of Georgia. And for about 6 months of his life after birth, he was. Then, one day, he and his parents "disappeared". His father and mother were found weeks later, dead, their child missing, out well past city limits. Theories abounded. No one was ever charged, no conclusion made. Funerals were held. People mourned. Mementos were kept by parents/grandparents and other scattered family. None were the wiser that Aleksander had been taken by the Blood Dragon Society to their base in Transylvania, Romania. They are a fanatical group borne from the last members of the Order of the Dragon. Born in fire and blood, they escaped the purge that wiped out most of their brethren and went into hiding. They watched as one of their own members became one of the most feared monsters of all time, a household name half a millennium later. The Blood Dragon Society vowed all those years ago to protect Europe (and, eventually, mankind) from the "dark things". Unfortunately, their definition of what constituted a viable threat has varied over the years, and has never focused solely on supernatural threats, but instead included political or religious movements and individuals. Worse, they vowed to use any means necessary, and have taken that vow seriously. They employ methods most would never condone, and in the last couple of centuries have begun taking orphans or other "won't be missed" children to train them from a young age to be perfect "defenders". Aleksander was part of a new "trial group", selected based on genetic factors (in his case, the presence of many historically successful soldiers on his father's side, and genetics stretching back to some of the fiercest Sarmation warriors on his mother's side) that the Society believed would make them ideal warriors. These children, taken from all over the world, and being of all sorts of ethnicity, were brought in before their first birthdays. They were raised impersonally, granted single names based on mythology (Aleksander was called Svarog), and fed rigorous diets, supplemented by vitamin and chemical treatments intended to procure the maximum possible performance and growth. They were educated as soon as possible, trained from very early ages in tactics, stealth, sabotage, combat of all kinds, and more. Their minds were laced with subliminal programs to ensure obedience and efficiency. Psychics were brought in to aid all of these efforts, ensuring that the whole batch of 20 was far ahead of their peers in every way by age 10. Alkesander was 11 when the Freedom League rescued all of the children from the clutches of the Society. The Raven, with the aid of Foreshadow, had tracked down the location of the Society's facilities. The stealthier members of the League infiltrated the base and ensured that the children were there and safe, and disabled much of the security. The rest of the League then swept in and thoroughly disabled any BDS troops still up and about, including a few of their more exotic members. Raven herself was the one to open the cell holding Aleksander, who had been in solitary for a week because his young mind had shown itself to be (once more) resistant to the harsher aspects of the programming they were trying to induce on the children. It wasn't a conscious thing, simply an unusually resilient psyche that meant the next year would not be as harsh as it would for his fellows. But only a little less harsh. Thankfully, the BDS facility had included full medical and biographical files on the children there; the Society was thorough and meticulous, if nothing else. This allowed the League to track down what family remained...which was his father's father, who was by this point in no condition to take care of a child. So he would have to be adopted after his treatment. It took over a year for League psychics and psychologists to help young Aleksander reach a point where they felt he couldn't simply be "switched off" or reprogrammed with a single phrase, and that he didn't treat the entire world like one long spy or combat mission. It still was a delicate enough situation that his adoptive parents, Loren and Melissa Barbeau, had to be specially trained and prepared to help him learn to socialize more normally. As well, his state of mind, as well as his near-reflexive fighting ability, necessitated him attending the Nicholson school for 3 years. Thankfully, by 14 Aleksander was a comparatively normal, if quiet, boy. He was even attending a regular public school. What Loren and Melissa didn't know is that the mental focus that previously had been forced upon the lessons of being a weapon, was now turned to investigating the Raven more. For almost a year, he'd been slowly tracking bits and pieces of information. Not because he hated her; just the opposite, Aleksander felt only the greatest of admiration for her. He wished to thank her without having to get mugged first. But as his investigation continued, he came to an uncomfortable conclusion: Raven was growing older. Just as her predecessor had, she was starting to show small signs of aging. One day, perhaps soon, she'd have to give up the mantle. But to whom? The day he figured out who she was, was the day Alkesander Nakani decided that if the Raven wouldn't appoint a successor, maybe one needed to approach her. So he dug deeper. Eventually, he determined two facts. First, the original Raven had been Duncan Summers, who was now headmaster of Claremont Academy. Second, his daughter, Callie Summers, was the current Raven. This would explain all the various resources Raven had always had access to. But now...how to speak to either of them about it? Finally, he decided on just going to Claremont Academy and trying to speak with the Headmaster, as he wasn't sure Callie would be at the Summers home. He skipped school one day and caught the bus to Bayview. He managed to slip onto the Academy grounds with none of the students or staff noticing, and ended up right outside Headmaster Summers' office. At which point the retired hero invited him in to speak. Duncan explained that while he didn't know quite why Aleksander was there, he'd kept track of the boy, if for no other reason than to help alert other heroes if the Blood Dragon Society ever moved to try and retake him. But the boy's presence intrigued him, and he had a guess as to why he was here. So Aleksander laid out his research, the results, and his belief that Callie needed a successor. Duncan ended up calling his daughter into the meeting, and there were a couple hours of discussion (during which Loren and Melissa were called in as well). In the end, it was decided that until he was 15 & 1/2 years old, Aleksander would be undergoing rigorous "basic training" without stepping foot outside the "lair" under the Summers home. Loren and Melissa weren't thrilled, but recognized that between Aleksander's iron will and his rather unique background, they'd be unlikely to stop him. So instead they partnered with Duncan and Callie to help make sure Alek didn't do something stupid to get himself killed. By June of 2013, Alek was allowed on 2 patrols a month, to try and get him used to actually going through the motions of being a crime-fighter. He was primarily asked to watch Raven's back, but was sometimes allowed to take the fore and get some practice. Most criminals were at least smart enough to not mouth off to a kid in body armor who was working with the Raven. The ones that were were educated. Word started to spread. In the meantime, in an effort to take some of the work off of Callie, and give Aleksander some independence on occasion, he was sent into the field as Nevermore (as he has dubbed himself) and transferred to Claremont, starting in the Spring 2014 semester. It was hoped that he would learn more skills related to working with other heroes, as well as broadening his own skillset for the purposes of crime fighting and prevention. These hopes were well-founded, though Alek did not have quite the meteoric high school career that some alumni of Calremont did. Nevermore made the rounds of Freedom City, working to aid Raven and sometimes even pick up the "slack" of patrols. He was given fuller access to the Rookery on his own (instead of only on mission prep or training). All these things helped him prepare himself. After The Incident, Callie sat down with Aleksander and explained that he was ready. He tried to deny it, but she told him, honestly, that not only was he ready, but that she was tired. Years of fighting the good fight had started to take their toll, and with her new duties as Headmistress, and her father's slowly-declining health, she felt it was time to step aside. He'd been far better prepared than she had been, really, and the Incident had proven his mettle, even if it wasn't a situation she found ideal to have tested him with. As part of the process of Alek officially becoming the Raven, he and his adoptive parents actually moved to the Summers estate. Loren became the designated manager of the estate itself, overseeing what regular staff there was, as well as organizing on-site social events or the like. Melissa, meanwhile, took to handling the financial aspects of the estate, investing and re-investing resources to ensure that both Duncan and Callie wouldn't have to worry about personal finances or most of the base financial costs of Claremont, with room to ensure Raven's mission is well funded built right into the budget. Personality & Motivation: Aleksander is a fairly quiet young man, but for all that he's gone through, he's actually fairly hopeful. He doesn't go for much in the way of exterior shows of emotion, but being rescued from the clutches of the Society, in the way he was, taught him that the world has good people, and those good people can make a difference. While not anti-social, Alek prefers to ration his time with friends (which he makes slowly and carefully) and strangers. But when he is with them, his shell opens up at least a little bit; he has a tendency to be the dry wit of a group, making some quip with a completely straight face. Alek will almost fanatically stand up to bullies, especially if he sees them picking on someone notably less capable physically (or socially, if it's primarily verbal bullying). He does not initiate actual fisticuffs, but he has been sent home a couple of times for, in his words, "finishing what someone else started". He has never shown regret for those fights, either. Thankfully he abhors the idea of taking a life or producing permanent injury, and so he's always focused on restraint, or temporary discomfort, to breaking bones or the like. Alek tends not to get involved in discussions about politics or law or the like, beyond voicing a general dislike of "injustice", though with as young as he is it's still a nebulous concept (beyond "criminals running around not getting stopped"). Raven comes off as a gruff, no-nonsense crime fighter. He's willing to work with other heroes, though he's cautious if he does not know them, and might get slightly frustrated with those who have trouble with subtlety of any form. To criminals, he's somewhat quieter than his predecessor, but still carries an air of menace and shadows. He is relentless and fearless, and lets them know. He does have a bit of a tendency to try and put on a gravely bravado with older heroes, barring those like Midnight or Foreshadow who carry legacies similar to his own. To them he is respectful, though he's not afraid to voice an opinion. But to others he might be trying to over-compensate for his clear newness to his role, subconsciously trying to prove that he's worthy of the mantle he will be receiving. To the average citizen, he's polite, if a bit terse, but always wanting to prove helpful in a moment of need. Powers & Tactics: Raven will adjust his tactics depending on the number and quality of opponents. For a large number of "thugs" he tends to just dive in and start taking them down rapidly, weathering their blows with his body armor while he delivers precise, powerful strikes. Armed opponents are likely to be disarmed. Those who seem to focus on power over finesse may well end up put in one martial art hold or another while he tries to choke them just enough to knock them out. For a notably powerful opponent he is likely to attempt to remain in stealth until he can catch them unaware enough to get a couple of solid blows in. That, or try to work with someone else or call for backup. Complications: Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier: While the particular cell that was "raising" Aleksander was dismantled, the Blood Dragon Society as a whole still exists. And they aren't the sort to let resources go to waste, especially ones that display the potential Aleksander has. At some point, or several points, they may try to retrieve Aleksander, not realizing that he's also Raven. The River Runs Deep: Aleksander was given a thorough de-programming by more than one psychic who was affiliated with the Freedom League, and was further taken through more mundane therapies and de-programmings by psychologists and psychiatrists. However, the scars of that time still remain. It is possible, if unlikely, that one or two "trigger words" may still be buried in his mind and activated, either by someone with sufficient knowledge, or someone with enough skill (not power, but skill) in the psychic arts. This would not turn him into a mindless drone, but it might be enough to leave him slower, incapacitated, or in some other way less effective than he should be. Secret (Identity): Aleksander's identity as Raven is something known only to a few (though fortunately or unfortunately, at least some fellow alumni from Claremont know). The risk is not only to himself, but to both the Summers, to his adoptive family, and even, in a way, to Claremont itself. Some Pretty Big Shoes: Aleksander's status as the new bearer mantle of the Raven is rather obvious to any who observe the hero. The general public (law-abiding and otherwise) lack a lot of the information about why the change happened, but by now they know it has. Some more experienced heroes might not take him seriously, or take offense to him attempting to "take over" the Raven's name (even with Callie's official blessing). Alek himself may sometimes have issues with confidence or second-guessing himself due to doubts over his "worthiness" of the role. Disarmed: Aleksander's belts (around his waist and across his chest) need to be removed to completely deprive him of his gadgets, but many of the individual items are hand-held, and can be disarmed as such. Others could be disabled on an individual basis, depriving him of that tool for a time. Abilities: 10 + 10 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 4 = 46PP Strength: 20 (+5) Dexterity: 20 (+5) Constitution: 18 (+4) Intelligence: 18 (+4) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP Initiative: +5 Attack: +13 Melee, +6 Ranged Grapple: +18 Defense: +13 (+6 Base, +7 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -4 Saving Throws: 5 + 4 + 6 = 15PP Toughness: +9 (+4 Con, +5 [Protection]) Fortitude: +9 (+4 Con, +5) Reflex: +9 (+5 Dex, +4) Will: +9 (+3 Wis, +6) Skills: 140R = 35PP Acrobatics 10 (+15) Computers 11 (+15) Drive 10 (+15) Escape Artist 10 (+15) Gather Information 10 (+12) Intimidate 10 (+12) Investigate 11 (+15) Knowledge (History) 4 (+8) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 4 (+8) Language 8 (Arabic, Chinese [Mandarin], English, French, German, Georgian, Japanese, Latin, Romanian [Native]) Notice 10 (+13) Search 11 (+15) Sense Motive 10 (+13) Stealth 10 (+15) Survival 11 (+14) Feats: 40PP Acrobatic Bluff Accurate Attack All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 7 Beginner's Luck Benefit 1 (Wealthy) Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Feint) Chokehold Defensive Attack Dodge Focus 7 Eidetic Memory Equipment 27 [Veteran Award] Evasion Improved Disarm Improved Grapple Improved Trip Improved Pin Improvised Tools Jack of All Trades Luck 2 Online Research Power Attack Second Chance (Mind Control) Second Chance (Mind Reading) Takedown Attack 2 Track Well-Informed Equipment: 27PP = 135EP [Veteran Award] The Rookery (Headquarters; Cave) (23EP) The Talon (Vehicle; Motorcycle) [17EP] The Unkindness (Vehicle; "Car") [95EP] Powers: 5 + 2(1+1) + 24 + 14 = 45PP Damage 4 (Feats: Mighty) [5PP] (Training) ("Martial Arts") Ideal Human 0.4 (2PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [2PP] (Training) Speed 1 (10MPH/100 feet per Move Action) [1PP] Leaping 1 (x2 distance) [1PP] Device 6 (30PP Container, Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [24PP] (Technological; "Raven Costume") City Movement 4 (8PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 1) [9PP] Base Power: Super-Movement 2 (Swinging, Wall-Crawling 2) [6PP] Linked to Speed 2 [Total of Speed 3/50mph] [2PP] ("Grapnel Gun") Alternate Power: Flight 3 (50MPH/500 feet per Move Action; Feats: Subtle; Flaws: Gliding) [4PP] ("Electroreactive Glider Cape") Communication 5 (Radio, 5 miles; Feats: Subtle) [6PP] ("In-Built Headset") Enhanced Feats 3 ( Second Chance 3 [Toughness Save vs Ballistics, Piercing, and Slashing] ) [3PP] ("Nano Weaving") Immunity 1 (Cold, Heat; Flaws: Limited [Half]) [1PP] ("Protective Thermal Under-Layer") Protection 5 [5PP] ("Armor Plating") Super-Senses 3 (Infravision; Vision Counters Obscure (Darkness) [Darkvision]) [3PP] ("Night Vision Lenses") Super Senses 3 (Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Time Sense) [3PP] ("Head's-Up Display") Gadgets 2 (10PP Variable Power, Any Power, Multiple Powers At Once, Duration [Continuous], Flaws: Hard-To-Lose) [14PP] (Technological) ("Utility Belt and Harness") Example Gadgets: DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed (Normal) Touch DC20 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Unarmed (Martial Arts) Touch DC24 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (46) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (15) + Skills (35) + Feats (40) + Powers (45) = 205/250 Power Points