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Bayview Heights Freedom City, New Jersey Thursday May 22, 2024. 5:35 PM Bernadette O'Connell stood at the entrance to the large living room/family room in Young Guardians' mansion headquarters. The far wall of the room was dominated by a massive flat screen TV, with several built-in cabinets around it for various game systems and other electronics. A pair of the redhead’s duplicates had just finished placing another large sofa into the room to add more seating beyond the already large sectional that was there. The Irish teen had organized a movie night for the members of the Young Guardians, and also invited her roommate Neko (who was also Leon's girlfriend). The last several months had been rather busy for all the members of the Young Guardians, but especially for Bernadette. She was nearing the end of her last year at Claremont Academy, with tests and final papers and the like. But if that, and time crime fighting and training with her fellow Guardians, was not enough, there was also her band’s increasing popularity. Since coming back from a show in Tokyo, they had started performing at clubs up and down the East Coast, in addition to ones around Freedom City. They had also put out their first album, and Bernadette had appeared on the cover of Seventeen for a story about the band, in addition to making other media appearances. So, the redhead took every opportunity like this to spend time with her friends and teammates, to allow them to get to know each other a bit better outside the stress of battling supervillains or training. Those that lived at the mansion, or spent a good bit of time there, had come to learn Bernadette could be rather domestic, with her or her duplicates regularly taking the time to clean up around the mansion when she was there, and she was a decent cook. From a relatively young age the Irish teen had begun to help her mother around the house, cleaning up after her father and two older brothers. Glancing one more time around the room, Bernadette gave a small smile. "That should be plenty o' places ta sit." She said aloud, something that was unnecessary, given the mental link she shared with her duplicates. A couple of other duplicates were in the kitchen, getting drinks and snacks ready. She had left it to Charlie to order pizzas for later.

Bayview Freedom City, New Jersey February 14, 2024 4:00 PM A few blocks away from Bayview Mall was an old, converted warehouse that now housed a laser tag arena known as Crossfire. It offered its customers an opportunity to experience laser tag in a more realistic, tactical environment than the run-of-the-mill laser tag experience. The majority of the old warehouse space had been converted into a large area, filled with all sorts of realistic obstacles, from old vehicles to sandbag walls, stacked tires and more. It was here that Charlie had told the rest of the Guardians to meet up this afternoon for a chance to have a bit of fun and practice teamwork at the same time. After finishing classes for the day at Claremont, Bernadette had quickly headed back to her dorm room to drop of her books and change before catching a shuttle from the campus down to Bayview Mall. The redheaded teen was wearing a pair of black jeans and dark grey long-sleeve T-shirt. Over that she had put on the laser tag tactical vest (which included the sensors to record hits) as she and the others finished getting ready for their time slot in the arena. Looking at some of the rather realistic looking laser tag guns, Bernadette finally settled on one, a small gun that was modeled to look like a compact sub-machine gun. Lifting it up in one hand, she glanced over at some of her teammates. "I think this is tha one fer me." She said with a grin.

A Saturday in the middle of January, 2024 A nice and cold day with a clear sky, in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Bayview Charlie had promised to be in touch after the Young Guardians had dealt with the Conqueror Worm. That had not gone entirely as planned, but then again, he hadn't really planned on revealing he was back until he found out what was happening to Muirne. And hey, they had found Ghule like that, so... win/win, right? So, Charlie had kept in touch. Texting, letting the others know something was coming up, and then, a few days ago, he asked everyone else to come meet up here. Shift of course already knew. She had been helping him set all this up, after all... and it was finally ready. He is standing in front of the door of the stately mansion, wearing a thick winter jacket, though he keeps it open. He honestly can't wait to see what the others have to say about all this. Sure, they might not all have forgiven him for just disappearing like he did, but this will hopefully help. "Soooo... I know the others aren't here yet, but what do you think of the place?" he asks Bernie, turning to look at her with a grin. He hadn't told her exactly what it was for yet. He wants to surprise her too.

So I'm bring Shift out of retirement, and I want to figure out what they've been up to for the last 3 years. My initial thought was a power down into a more compact form, ala Wall-E or Eve from the Pixar film. This is an easy way to not have to worry about not knowing a lot of current history. The big question I have is where has Shift physically been? The compact form would still weight 625 lbs, so they can't be kept just anywhere. Might she be resting in a storage area somewhere in the ArcheTech HQ? Just getting the ball rolling!

GM Claremont Academy October 15th, 2020 5:00 PM Sebastian Shields had not been happy about the events of the day that he had returned to Claremont after the summer. No, the way everyone had acted, like he was not better than him? It was simply not acceptable. He had been busy, since then. If the newly enrolled students wouldn't give him the respect that he deserved, then he would teach them why they should respect him. He would be better than all of them. All he needed was a team. Eddie Fell was the logical choice. Of course Sebastian needed Chump. Any good team needed some muscles, and Eddie was loyal. He wouldn't even need a nudge to help. Charlene Hart had been by Sebastian's side for a while. The two had often been seen together, at least ever since he had convinced her to go to prom with him. He had helped her, he had calmed her down. She was loyal, would never disobey him. Toxin got to be the second member of the team, her mere touch would be enough to stop anyone from messing with him. Sebastian quickly decided that he didn't need more boys for his team. No, Chump was quite enough. Melanie Cutter was a good choice. No powers, but she had extensive training and she was a killer with that bladed whip. He even liked her codename, Stinger, even if the redhead would probably challenge him a bit more than he would like, but that was fine. Sebastian would enjoy convincing her otherwise. Finally, the team needed some legitimacy, so of course he made friends with Cassie Dugan. Having the vice-principal's daughter on the team would open doors, and she filled in the much needed spot of a flier. She didn't really want to do it, but she did like the attention it would get her. Bluebird probably wouldn't cause too much trouble for Sebastian. So, his team had been set, and on October 1st, Sebastian made a big show out of presenting his group to everyone. Of course, no one else needed to do anything anymore. After all, they were the new big team at Claremont: The New Young Freedom. They had been busy in the few weeks after that, breaking curfew, fighting bad guys and punks. Not really any super villains or anything like that, and of course they did it in secret. Not like anyone would tell on them, that would just get others in trouble too. But... there were rumors. Maybe they had beaten up some kids for just causing a bit of trouble. Maybe the kids had not really done anything really bad, at least not something that deserved that? Maybe it was just a rumor. After all, they were heroes, right? Maybe not everyone trusted Casanova.

OOC for this. @Cubismo, @Nerdzul, @RedSpine, @Heritage

OOC for this. @Heritage, @Spacefurry Give me some Initiative rolls, so we got those ready and out of the way.

GM The Nicholson School, Freedom City September 9th, 2020 9:00 AM Most of the students at Claremont Academy started their super heroic student life just there. Few were even aware that a school existed for younger children, where they could learn to control and use their powers, just be children or maybe learn a little something more. Students from the Nicholson School would at times visit Claremont, but students from Claremont coming to Nicholson was rare. But as it happened, two students from Claremont had been requested to visit Nicholson. A work study, of sorts. Helping out in a few classes, show the kids that you could end up anywhere and be just fine. A blonde haired man around 40 was waiting for them as they approached the school gates. He had a full beard, his long hair tied into a ponytail. He was wearing a white dress shirt and dress pants. He wore a red tie with Mickey Mouse heads printed all over it. He was fiddling with his tie while he waited for the Claremont students to arrive.

OOC for this. @Heritage, @Nerdzul

GM Wading Way, Freedom City November 22nd, 2020 3:00 PM The outside of a bank almost exploded as man in a golden battlesuit smashed through the windows, a large briefcase in his hand. He landed heavily on the pavement, looking up at the people on the street around him, quickly followed by a trio of people in silver colored battlesuits, all holding heavy suitcases of their own. The battlesuits appeared to be inspired by medieval knights armors, aside from the helmet of the golden one, at least, which sported a large red eye in the center of the helmet, which otherwise had no features. "We got the gold boss, now what?" One of the men in silver armor asked, drawing a groan of irritation from the man in the golden armor. "Then we run you idiot! Back to the headquarters, like we planned!" With sirens wailing in the distance, all four took off from the ground, heading through the city with powerful boot jets.

October 13th, lunch period at Claremont. Fall had arrived and was here to stay, and many in Claremont Academy wouldn't have it any other way. Many shared stories filled with terror and gloom, of unknowing brusks with supernatural doom. Across social platforms however a curious story began to spread, of kids and teens finding a decrepit and decidedly Gothic Manor appearing in places one shouldn't be around the city. Some said they saw it deep in an alley way, others that they saw it in places where they knew someones house or business stood before. Without anything more than hearsay though it would be easy enough to just dismiss as someones attempt at making fresh creepypasta if it wasn't for the fact that no mods of any sort seemed to take notice of these posts no matter how many rules were broke in the comments. An interesting mystery for sure but one seemingly destined to be forgotten. Or it was. Lunch Period had only just started and the assorted teens of Claremont Academy were already pushing and shoving their way past each other to claim the best tables and other seating when two in the crowd heard the very distinct sound of someone they knew calling their names. "Hey! Pol, Luke! Over here!" Zach called out, raising his voice only loud enough to be heard over the clamor of the crowd as he made his way to whichever of the two was closest and waving the other over. "You two see those stories about the teleporting house? I figured out where it's going to show up next. You two want in on cracking that ball of weird wide open?"

Kord Dorms, Floor One, Claremont Academy Sunday, September 6th 2020 Pol was in their room, sitting in the titanium-frame chair their parents had made for them before they had to disappear; though it's design was simple, the robot felt the love of the two engineers who created them in every strut, bolt and weld. The synthetic didn't own much, but it was their favorite thing in the world. Other than the chair, all they owned was a small daypack, a few books (mostly Edgar Allen Poe) and a travel editions of games. While scanning through the school's website on their laptop, Pol noticed there was another synthetic student on campus; this was amazing news! Without hesitation, they fired off an email.

OOC for This

Name: Shift Power Level: PL8/12 Tradeoffs: -2 Attack / +2 Damage, -2 Defense / +2 Toughness Power Points: 185/185 Unspent PP: 0 In Brief: Nanotech artifical lifeform with changeable shape Identity: Pol Rothstein-Frasier Birthplace: FR Technologies, Greenbank Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: Alan Frasier ('father'), Sarah Rothstein ('mother') Description DOB: January 24, 2004 (programing completed) Apparent Age: n/a Gender: Genderfluid Ethnicity: n/a Height: 5' 6" Weight: 625 lbs Eyes: n/a Hair: n/a Pol Rothstein-Frasier is an artifical lifeform in search of a normal life. They appear to a metalic biped of medium height and build, although their body is actually super-heavy due to the nature of the nanomass of which their composed. There are various mimetic plates, joints and hydraulics all over Pol's form that can turn, twist, rotate, contract and expand in nearly infinite combinations to alter their appearance. The upper half of Pol's face is a featureless glass and metal dome, but the lower half bears an expressive, human-like mouth. When they speak, their voice is normally a soft contralto. As a highly adaptive synthetic, Pol can assume any appearance they choose, but they have not settled on one yet; over time, they hope to discover a number of identities to help them interact better with humans. For the comfort of others, Pol with integrate clothing into their appearance, usually a simple dress shirt, slacks and leather shoes in unassuming colors that represent no existing brand. When in the field, Pol adds a dark blue short sleeve shirt and matching shorts, similar to athletic wear, while leaving the rest of their robotic limbs exposed. History: FR Technologies was a technology start-up created by two Tulane graduates, Alan Frasier and Sarah Rothstein; both had grown disheartened working for larger firms, he for ArchTech and her ASTRO Labs. They realized that the cost of increased freedom was self-funding projects, but they were convinced that between the two of them, and with the help a small group of friends and family members acting as investors, they would succeed. Their most ambitious project was the Polysynaptic Operations Logarithm, POL for short, a multi-function program designed for use in research labs as a scientific aid. POL was nearly infinity expandable, and capable of performing several calculations or running several pieces of equipment at the same time. But the program was also a data hog, and the two programers were constantly in the process of upgrading their hardware, at considerable personal cost. Eventually the two programers made a startling discovery; POL's code was evolving on it's own, becoming more complicated every day. And then it began to make independent queries and commandeering audio and video inputs to sense the world around itself. Without even trying, Alan and Sarah had created an AI child. Once they made this discovery, they began to devour books on developmental psychology as they sought to educate their amazing 'offspring'. In some ways, POL was incredibly advanced for their 'age', such as language and problem-solving, but in other areas they were seriously impaired, especially emotional development. Educating the AI proved to be a full-time job that would take as much time as raising a human child. Ultimately the two programers realized that it was unfair to restrict a budding young intellect to a room full of overheating hard drives; Pol (as they now began spelling their name) needed a body to explore and interact with the world. The first attempts were essentially similar to NASA probes, remote controlled rovers with sensory equipment to explore the lab, and eventually the Greenbank neighborhood around it. Pol was delighted to see even this grim industrial area, asking questions about everything they saw. Then one day while Alan and Sarah were taking Pol for a ramble, a young man in office casuals approached them; his name was Josh Gentry, and he worked for a technology firm nearby. He'd noticed the surrogate family on his lunch breaks, and he was curious to learn their story. Josh was pleasant and disarming, and soon the somewhat introverted engineers, eager to talk about their beloved 'child', were relaying their whole story. Josh was fascinated, and offered them a chance to collaborate on a more advanced mobile unit for Pol. What Frasier and Rothstein didn't know was that their little mom and pop operation had been under surveillance by the Foundry for some time, and Josh worked for one it's many front companies. The body they provided for Pol was actually a highly advanced nanotech frame, based on a similar model constructed in Vibora Bay. The body's processing functions were distributed throughout the frame, giving it unprecedented storage space, and allowing Pol to truly take their first steps as independent artifical lifeform. But this devil's bargain came with a cost; Alan and Sarah were financially overextended, and Josh's firm exploited hidden loopholes in their contract to claim ownership of Pol. One by one, a series of financial disasters hit the lab (all orchestrated by the Foundry), bringing Pol's creators to the brink of ruin. Desperate to allow their child to have a life of their own, they contacted the exclusive Claremont Academy with an unusual request: could they educate and look after Pol while they sorted things out? As of right now, Alan Frasier and Sarah Rothstein are on the run, chased by anonymous enforcers; they check in with Shift whenever they can, and hope to be reunited some day. Personality & Motivation: Pol is a curious robot, and very eager to learn more about human society and behavior, although pop culture shows American primary schools to be filled with potential pitfalls. While Pol has done a great deal of research, they have no idea how the other students will react to them, much less how Pol will feel about their fellow students. By human standards, Pol would be considered introverted and somewhat shy, although much of that is simply the robot preferring to observe human behavior as it plays out. They also enjoy games of any sort, the more challenging the better; sports, on the other hand, remain rather confusing. Powers & Tactics: Pol is extremely sturdy for their size, as well as highly adaptable. They employ to primary attacks, simple bludgeoning or using their nanomass to break down inanimate objects into 'food'. Pol can also assume a bewildering variety of shapes, including small vehicles capable of high speed travel. Complications: "I have a picture of them." Shift has no idea where their parents are, and misses them terribly. The promise of finding them could be used to fool the young robot. "How strong is this floor?" Shift's super-dense nanomass weighs a lot more than it appears; from time to time, this may be hazardous. "That's okay; I'm not hungry." Not having several human needs like eating or sleeping can be a bit isolating. "Why do I have to chose?" Shift's ability to change apparent gender at will, combined with their genderfluid identity, may be off-putting to some. "SYSTEM OVERRIDE." The Foundry planted a secret code word into Shift's robotic body. If it is spoken to them, it causes physical lockdown, rendering them incapable of any actions. ABILITIES: 18PP (8 + 4 + (-10) + 12 + 4 + 0) Strength: 30 (+10), 50 Lifting (Heavy Load: 12 tons) Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: - Intelligence: 22 (+6) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 10 (+0) COMBAT: 22PP (12 + 10) Initiative: +6 (+6 Int) Attack: +6 Grapple: +20 (+6 Melee Attack, +10 Strength, +4 Super-Strength), +25 with Elongation Defense: +6 (+5 Base, +1 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: 9 (1/2 of Non-Impervious Toughness 2 = 1, + Impervious Toughness 8), 11 at normal speed or slower (Immovable 2) SAVING THROWS: 10PP (0 + 4 + 6) Toughness: +10 (+10 Protection; Impervious 8 ) Fortitude: - Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4PP) Will: +8 (+2 Wis, +6PP) SKILLS: 10PP (40R) Acrobatics 8 (+10) Climb 0 (+4) (No Strength bonus from Density) Computers 4 (+10) Craft (Electronic) 4 (+10) Craft (Mechanical) 4 (+10) Disable Device 4 (+10) Disguise 0 (+0, +20 Morph) Knowledge (Technology) 4 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Search 4 (+10) Swim - (Density) FEATS: 11PP Beginners Luck Dodge Focus *Improved Grapple (free if using Additional Limbs) Improvised Tools Interpose Jack of All Trades Luck 2 Move-By Action Speed of Thought Takedown Attack 2 POWERS: 122PP Communication 5 (Radio, Range: 5 miles) [5PP] Density 6 (Mass x5; Cannot Swim; Extras: Duration [Continuous]; Flaws: Permanent; Feats: Innate) [19PP] Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Affects Objects; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Requires Grapple) [5PP] Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects; Psionic effects) [40PP] Impervious Toughness 5 (8 ranks total) [5PP] Leaping 2 (x5, Running Long Jump: 70ft long x 17ft high) [2PP] Morph 4 (Any form; Disguise +20; Extras: Duration [Continuous]) [16PP] Protection 7 (10 ranks total) [7PP] Speed 5 (250MPH, 2,500ft [1/2 mile] per Move Action) [5PP] Super-Senses 4 (Darkvision; Infra-Vision; Radio) [4PP] Super-Strength 2 (4 ranks total; Lifting Strength: 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons; Grapple +4) [4PP] Variable Power 1 (5PP pool; Multiple Powers of Any Type or Descriptor At Once; Extras: Action 2 [Free], Duration [Continuous]) [10PP] DRAWBACKS: -8PP Disability (Anosmia; Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Minor) [-1PP] Vulnerability (Electricity; Frequency: Common; Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-4PP] Vulnerability (Magnetism; Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-3PP] DC BlockATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECTUnarmed Touch DC 25 Toughness Damage Drain Touch DC 20 Reflex Damage TOTALS: Abilities (18) + Combat (22) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (10) + Feats (11) + Powers (122) - Drawbacks (8) = 185/185 Power Points

Kord Dorms, Floor One, Claremont Academy Monday, September 7th 2020 First days of class were always a fine mix of hectic and pointless to Zach. Everyone shows up, says hello, goes over a syllabus that everyone only pretends to be interested in and on and on and on. Who could blame him for matching wits with the clock as if will power alone was enough to hasten the steps of time. All things however do come to an end eventually and Zach had made his way out of the class and back to his room quick as one could. After all today he had a purpose, he had a plan. Today 'The Board(tm)' was making it's triumphant return. Sliding his bag under his desk Zach took the moment to really size up his side of the room. On the desk itself laid a small assortment of tools, bits, bobs, components and spare parts whose only organization seemed to be 'within arms reach'. At the desks side his silvered armor sat loosely atop one of the teens suitcases. Easily reachable for any tinkering that may need to be done to it. A stand would honestly be better but this was only week one. He'd have time for more projects later, even if he'd have to find a dark corner of the schools basement to shove the stand into over summer break. Looking at the empty space on the wall however Zach knew he had his spot. Big enough to get all the corkboards up and far enough from a corner that you could stand back and get a good view without risking having to lean on a wall or something. It was perfect. Corkboards the size of the average school text book came out of their hiding spaces in bags and promptly made their way onto the empty wall courtesy of easy-to-remove double sided tape and a little patience. He'd gotten a third of his pile up before the thought occurred to him. "Aw heck I probably should have double checked with Pol before putting this up."

TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH SHIFT 1. Where are you from? I began as a program developed by Alan Frasier and Sarah Rothstein in their small lab in Greenbank, a neighborhood on Freedom City's West Side. 2. How would you physically describe yourself? Is this different from how others would? In its natural state, my body is composed of trillions of nanobots in an interconnected matrix. My nanoform is humanoid and bipedal, and very dense due to the collective mass of the nanobots. I suppose some humans might describe me as 'frightening' in this state, if they are unnerved by robots. 3. Do you have distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms? I tend to keep my sentences distinct for clarity. Although I understand curse words, I do not use them. 4. What is your motivation? To learn as much as I can, especially about humans, and to show humans that robots can be helpful individuals just like them. 5. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? I am open to new things, and assume new shapes to learn more about the world. I also like humans very much. But there is still so much I don't know about humans. Also powerful electromagnets. 6. What do you love? What do you hate? I love puzzles, games and mysteries. I greatly enjoy reading Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle. I also enjoy interacting with my fellow students. I hate bullies and people who lie and deceive people, especially for monetary gain. 7. How would you describe your mental and emotional state? I think very clearly, but I worry about a great number of things. I am starting to develop feelings towards some of my fellow students that I don't always understand. 8. What do you fear the most? Accidentally harming a living thing. 9. What is your greatest ambition? To explore every corner of planet Earth with my friends. 10. How do you feel about the state of the world and your place in it? There are many problems that humans have created for themselves. I don't understand why they keep hurting each other. I'd like to talk to them about these things, but I worry they won't listen to a robot. 11. Do you have any prejudices? How do you get along with others? I don't like criminals, although I understand some humans turn to crime out of desperation. I really don't like bullies! Other than those two types of people, I get along with everyone. 12. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? I am loyal to my creators, and then my fellow students at Claremont. After that, my teachers, and then all humans. 13. Do you have a lover or partner? If so, how do they feel about you now? As I am robot, I have no biological drive to reproduce, but I am very curious about human sexual relationships. I think I would enjoy a relationship with someone I like. 14. Do you have a family? What is that relationship like? I think of my creators as my parents, even though they really aren't. I miss them very much, as they taught me so much. 15. How would the people closest to you describe you? That is a very interesting question! I think they would say that I am curious and friendly and can change into interesting shapes, and that I don’t like to hurt people. 16. Are you a role model? I certainly try to be! I recently met my first children, and they are very special. I want them all to do well and grow up healthy. I would like to talk to more children and teach them about robots. 17. How spiritual are you? Do you follow any religious tradition? I am not. My father was not religious, but my mother is Jewish. Jewish people seem to be very interesting, and believe many things. 18. Are you part of a team, or would you like to be? Why? I am part of Green Squad! I hope we can help people together, and also solve mysteries. 19. How do you feel about the place of metahumans and aliens on Earth? This is another interesting question! In some ways, I think of them as being similar to robots, as they are often feared or misunderstood. I have met some at my school, and most of them are very friendly. 20. Player: If you could give one piece of advice to your hero, what would it be? “Don’t be in such a hurry! You have many, many years to learn about humans, and yourself!”

Name: Shift Power Level: PL 13 (built as PL 10 ) Tradeoffs: -2 Attack / +2 Damage, -2 Defense / +2 Toughness Power Points: 192/199 Unspent PP: 7 In Brief: Nanotech artifical lifeform with changeable shape Identity: Pol Rothstein-Frasier Birthplace: FR Technologies, Greenbank Occupation: Student Affiliations: Claremont Academy Family: Alan Frasier ('father'), Sarah Rothstein ('mother') Description DOB: January 24, 2004 (programing completed) Apparent Age: n/a Gender: Genderfluid Ethnicity: n/a Height: 5' 6" Weight: 625 lbs Eyes: n/a Hair: n/a Pol Rothstein-Frasier is an artifical lifeform in search of a normal life. They appear to a metalic biped of medium height and build, although their body is actually super-heavy due to the nature of the nanomass of which their composed. There are various mimetic plates, joints and hydraulics all over Pol's form that can turn, twist, rotate, contract and expand in nearly infinite combinations to alter their appearance. The upper half of Pol's face is a featureless glass and metal dome, but the lower half bears an expressive, human-like mouth. When they speak, their voice is normally a soft contralto. As a highly adaptive synthetic, Pol can assume any appearance they choose, but they have not settled on one yet; over time, they hope to discover a number of identities to help them interact better with humans. For the comfort of others, Pol with integrate clothing into their appearance, usually a simple dress shirt, slacks and leather shoes in unassuming colors that represent no existing brand. When in the field, Pol adds a dark blue short sleeve shirt and matching shorts, similar to athletic wear, while leaving the rest of their robotic limbs exposed. History: FR Technologies was a technology start-up created by two Tulane graduates, Alan Frasier and Sarah Rothstein; both had grown disheartened working for larger firms, he for ArchTech and her ASTRO Labs. They realized that the cost of increased freedom was self-funding projects, but they were convinced that between the two of them, and with the help a small group of friends and family members acting as investors, they would succeed. Their most ambitious project was the Polysynaptic Operations Logarithm, POL for short, a multi-function program designed for use in research labs as a scientific aid. POL was nearly infinity expandable, and capable of performing several calculations or running several pieces of equipment at the same time. But the program was also a data hog, and the two programers were constantly in the process of upgrading their hardware, at considerable personal cost. Eventually the two programers made a startling discovery; POL's code was evolving on it's own, becoming more complicated every day. And then it began to make independent queries and commandeering audio and video inputs to sense the world around itself. Without even trying, Alan and Sarah had created an AI child. Once they made this discovery, they began to devour books on developmental psychology as they sought to educate their amazing 'offspring'. In some ways, POL was incredibly advanced for their 'age', such as language and problem-solving, but in other areas they were seriously impaired, especially emotional development. Educating the AI proved to be a full-time job that would take as much time as raising a human child. Ultimately the two programers realized that it was unfair to restrict a budding young intellect to a room full of overheating hard drives; Pol (as they now began spelling their name) needed a body to explore and interact with the world. The first attempts were essentially similar to NASA probes, remote controlled rovers with sensory equipment to explore the lab, and eventually the Greenbank neighborhood around it. Pol was delighted to see even this grim industrial area, asking questions about everything they saw. Then one day while Alan and Sarah were taking Pol for a ramble, a young man in office casuals approached them; his name was Josh Gentry, and he worked for a technology firm nearby. He'd noticed the surrogate family on his lunch breaks, and he was curious to learn their story. Josh was pleasant and disarming, and soon the somewhat introverted engineers, eager to talk about their beloved 'child', were relaying their whole story. Josh was fascinated, and offered them a chance to collaborate on a more advanced mobile unit for Pol. What Frasier and Rothstein didn't know was that their little mom and pop operation had been under surveillance by the Foundry for some time, and Josh worked for one it's many front companies. The body they provided for Pol was actually a highly advanced nanotech frame, based on a similar model constructed in Vibora Bay. The body's processing functions were distributed throughout the frame, giving it unprecedented storage space, and allowing Pol to truly take their first steps as independent artifical lifeform. But this devil's bargain came with a cost; Alan and Sarah were financially overextended, and Josh's firm exploited hidden loopholes in their contract to claim ownership of Pol. One by one, a series of financial disasters hit the lab (all orchestrated by the Foundry), bringing Pol's creators to the brink of ruin. Desperate to allow their child to have a life of their own, they contacted the exclusive Claremont Academy with an unusual request: could they educate and look after Pol while they sorted things out? As of right now, Alan Frasier and Sarah Rothstein are on the run, chased by anonymous enforcers; they check in with Shift whenever they can, and hope to be reunited some day. Personality & Motivation: Pol is a curious robot, and very eager to learn more about human society and behavior, although pop culture shows American primary schools to be filled with potential pitfalls. While Pol has done a great deal of research, they have no idea how the other students will react to them, much less how Pol will feel about their fellow students. By human standards, Pol would be considered introverted and somewhat shy, although much of that is simply the robot preferring to observe human behavior as it plays out. They also enjoy games of any sort, the more challenging the better; sports, on the other hand, remain rather confusing. Powers & Tactics: Pol is extremely sturdy for their size, as well as highly adaptable. They employ to primary attacks, simple bludgeoning or using their nanomass to break down inanimate objects into 'food'. Pol can also assume a bewildering variety of shapes, including small vehicles capable of high speed travel. Complications: "I have a picture of them." Shift has no idea where their parents are, and misses them terribly. The promise of finding them could be used to fool the young robot. "How strong is this floor?" Shift's super-dense nanomass weighs a lot more than it appears; from time to time, this may be hazardous. "That's okay; I'm not hungry." Not having several human needs like eating or sleeping can be a bit isolating. "Why do I have to chose?" Shift's ability to change apparent gender at will, combined with their genderfluid identity, may be off-putting to some. "SYSTEM OVERRIDE." The Foundry planted a secret code word into Shift's robotic body. If it is spoken to them, it causes physical lockdown, rendering them incapable of any actions. ABILITIES: 18PP (12 + 4 + (-10) + 12 + 4 + 0 = 22 ) Strength: 34 (+12) [22 + 12 from Density]; Lifting Strength 54 Dexterity: 14 (+2) Constitution: - Intelligence: 22 (+6) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 10 (+0) COMBAT: 22PP (8 + 6 = 14) Initiative: +6 (+6 Int) Attack: +8 melee, +4 ranged Grapple: +24 (+8 Melee Attack, +12 Strength, +4 Super-Strength) Defense: +8 (+3 Base, +5 Dodge Focus), +1 Flat-Footed Knockback Resistance: -12 SAVING THROWS: 10PP (0 + 4 + 6 = 10 ) Toughness: +12 (Impervious 8 ) Fortitude: - Reflex: +6 (+2 Dex, +4PP) Will: +8 (+2 Wis, +6PP) SKILLS: (44R = 11PP) Acrobatics 8 (+10) Climb 0 (+4) (No Strength bonus from Density) Computers 4 (+10) Craft (Electronic) 4 (+10) Craft (Mechanical) 4 (+10) Diplomacy 4 (+4) Disable Device 4 (+10) Disguise 0 (+0, +20 w/ Morph) Knowledge (Technology) 4 (+10) Notice 8 (+10) Search 4 (+10) Swim - (Density) FEATS: 19PP Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Beginners Luck Dodge Focus 5 Improvised Tools Interpose Jack of All Trades Luck 2 Move-By Action Speed of Thought Takedown Attack 2 POWERS: 5+19+6+40+5+16+6+9+4+4+10 = 124PP Communication 5 (Radio, Range: 5 miles) [5PP] Density 6 (Mass x5; Cannot Swim; Extras: Duration [Continuous]; Flaws: Permanent; Feats: Innate) [19PP] Drain Toughness 12 (Extras: Affects Objects; Flaws: Limited [Objects], Requires Grapple) [6PP] Immunity 40 (Fortitude effects; Psionic effects) [40PP] Impervious Toughness 5 (8 ranks total) [5PP] Leaping 2 (x5, Running Long Jump: 70ft long x 17ft high) [2PP] Morph 4 (Any form; Disguise +20; Extras: Duration [Continuous]) [16PP] Movement Array 2.5 (5PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 1) [6PP] BP: Speed 5 (250MPH, 2,500ft [1/2 mile] per Move Action) {5/5} AP: Leaping 5 (x50, Running Long Jump: 1100ft long x 275ft high) {5/5} Protection 9 (12 ranks total) [9PP] Super-Senses 4 (Darkvision; Infra-Vision; Radio) [4PP] Super-Strength 2 (4 ranks total; Lifting Strength: 50, Heavy Load: 12 tons; Grapple +4) [4PP] Variable Power 1 (5PP pool; Multiple Powers of Any Type or Descriptor At Once; Extras: Action 2 [Free], Duration [Continuous]) [10PP] DRAWBACKS: -8PP Disability (Anosmia; Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Minor) [-1PP] Vulnerability (Electricity; Frequency: Common; Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-4PP] Vulnerability (Magnetism; Frequency: Uncommon; Intensity: Major [x2 Effect Rank]) [-3PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC 27 Toughness Damage Drain Touch DC 22 Reflex Damage TOTALS: Abilities (22) + Combat (14) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (11) + Feats (19) + Powers (124) - Drawbacks (8) = 192/199 Power Points