[IC] Masks: The Unseen Path

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.

Errant reaches out a hand, chases after Liminal for a few steps, but it's no use. She's gone. Turning back to the others, his shoulders slump in resignation. The fight has gone out of him. Even the weightless spell-armor feels like it's holding him down. "So that's it then?" For once, he had to agree with Fox wholeheartedly. There was no salvaging this. With defeat in his voice, he says, "Okay. I'll be waiting for your files. See you later."

By Uther, he needs a milkshake.

[Malexia]

Information is proliferated quickly between teammates, more details listed over Veil's file sharing service. Halcyon City waits with bated breath.

Fox tells Corax of the day's revelations, and insists his team be allowed to handle this incident without any help. She agrees, curious how your group will perform on your merits alone, but reminds him to use the runestone when the time is right. He spends his evening and morning preparing his arsenal, creating magic shells for his twin pistols. He so rarely has cause to use them, but he suspects this event will be different from the prior encounters with New Dawn.

JigaWatt stays in communication with the League, sharing what he can about the coming incident without betraying his sources, and in turn learning from Weaver what the League is planning. The locations of the other two attacks have been located by the League, and full League teams will patrol near those areas, ready to pounce as soon as New Dawn turns up. The Humanity Now rally, however, will be left entirely to the Team to deal with. A lot of trust is being placed in them, but Sentinel himself has given the go-ahead for this course of action. Of course, if the Team does need help, they need only send a message through the secure channel that Weaver has established. The League doesn't use Veil, but they have other means of keeping in touch.

Errant returns to Castle Grail for more training. Sir Maelan is happy - or what passes for happy from that gruff man - to teach Aiden as much as he can, and asks no questions about why Errant White has such a renewed zeal for it. The Red Knight teaches Aiden how to summon his sword from great distances, tapping into that psychic bond that Aiden had discovered in their duel. Aiden also seeks to expand his powers and learn a way to project his protection magic beyond his armor, but Maelan's expertise lies in the more aggressive fields. Still, Castle Grail has plenty of reading material that forms a foundation for the idea.

There is a certain melancholy to preparations; without Liminal, a bit of mirth is missing. But still, you persist. You must.

---

Humanity Now Rally, Saturday Evening

There's a park just two blocks north of the warehouse where JigaWatt was nearly captured. It's a rather unexceptional park most days of the year, being perfectly normal in all respects and only of interest to those seeking a peaceful walk or a place to take the kids. It has history, of course, but what place in Halcyon doesn't? Heroes and villains have fought over every inch of this city, over issues both grand and petty.

Today, you expect, the park's historical relevancy will have to be reevaluated.

Hundreds have gathered already and more flock in droves as the setting sun casts the park in golden radiance. A stage has been assembled, private security monitors the perimeter, and banners bearing the slogans of Humanity Now wave gently in the evening breeze. Not everyone is a true believer, either; you see as many faces alight with curiosity or contempt as you see those seething with fury and zeal. The noise and gathering crowd attracts passersby, and the news has been buzzing with clips from the organizers. Everyone wants to know about the new faction within Human Interest.

The speeches have already begun: trailing, purposeless things that lack the meat and substance you were promised. Buzzwords and scare tactics are thrown about, blame for recent events thrown at all sorts of metahuman-friendly organizations, but these are not the fangs, no, this is just growling, barking noise. It is clear to everyone in attendance that these are just the appetizers, meant to keep the audience's attention while the last stragglers file in and the real speakers finish their preparations.

And the New Dawn has yet to show their face.

Where are each of you, and how are you staying inconspicuous in the crowd?

[Captain Jak]

JigaWatt
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +3
• Danger: -2
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +2
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Stage-fighting: When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.
  
  
• Time for the show: When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior.
  On a 7-9, name one NPC present.
  On a 10+, name two NPCs present.
  The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice.
  On a miss, your display catches someone watching in the wrong way.
  
  
• The gossip mags: When you tap into the gossip and rumor of the celebrity industry for information on an important city figure, roll + Superior. On a hit, you can ask the GM questions. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
  - What are they up to?
  - What or who do they most care about?
  - What allies do they have? Enemies?
  - Where and when can I find them?
  - How could I make them vulnerable to me?
  On a miss, ask one anyway, but they hear about your interest in them.
  
• Suck it, Domitian: When you stand strong while dramatically under fire, roll + Savior instead of + Danger to directly engage a threat.

JigaWatt watches the stage and the currently ongoing rants, his face studiously neutral even though he’s more than a little antsy inside. He’s wearing the tried and true disguise of sunglasses and a flat-brim ball cap – his usual heroic wear sponsored hoodie just one of several of the brand that he can see from where he’s standing. Which is in the rear third of the crowd; not at the edge, but nowhere near the stage either.

He taps the tail of his board lightly on the ground as he waits; trucks and wheels that are held on with magnets disguise the usually bare deck as a normal skateboard until it’s needed, and his GoPro is in his pocket, ready to be donned at need.

The absolute worst part of all of this?

The waiting.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions: Angry
Potential: 4/5

The fateful day had come at last but as Kye lurked through the crowd wondered if this was really worth it. Two other places that might be hit, they were fairly certain it was going to be here. If it weren't? If this was actually a trap, a diversion? He'd come out of costume though it was near to hand along with the runestone that Corax had given to him. New Dawn knew his general appearance since their last scuffle and it was without a doubt and it had the added bonus that the team wasn't aware of his appearance either. To fool your enemies you first had to fool your friends.

His eyes were constantly on the look out for exits, just a natural instinct at this point. Knowing where to run if an Albian Knight burst on the scene was a smart thing to have in your toolbox and it applied here as well. If this was a trap, and that gnawing feeling only grew as New Dawn hadn't yet appeared, then they'd need to get out as quickly as possible. Or at least he'd need to get out as quick as possible to make sure at least one of them could mount a recovery effort.

Once those were secure his eyes turned to something else. There had to be something here, if here was really the spot, that New Dawn was after. It wasn't just a platform to all these people. Someone, or something, was important for this exact location and if it was important enough to actually invest in the rally then it was important enough for the team to secure. Which made it all the more important that he remained undisclosed. The team for sure knew he was here. Where, and what he was doing, was probably best kept to the chest. If they did get captured he could still secure whatever New Dawn was actually after and take it out in the confusion.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 13 on an Assess. Going to ask

- What here can I use __ to help us slip away if this goes titsup
- What here is most valuable to me

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:0/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

'Why did I think checking this out was a good idea?' was the thought running through Alex's head as he stood there, stuck in the middle of a crowd of angry people. He didn't really want to try getting out of there, as anyone would be able to recognize him if he made himself known, so standing there and listening to the speeches was the best he could do. 'I could have just went about my day, but... if this is going to become a scene, or a riot, or something then... I'd rather be here, stopping it as it starts, and not just arriving as this is wrapping up. But how would I even help if I'm stuck in a crowd of people who hate me? This was a stupid decision.'

But he couldn't have walked away, even if he wanted to. He had to be a hero, and this is what heroes do; helping people even if they don't want to be helped. Even if he didn't feel like a hero, he was going to try anyway, and hopefully it would be enough.

He just wished there was another hero there if things went bad.

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.

Aiden holes up at a picnic shelter a short distance from the rally. Dressed in casual clothes, it was no great challenge to blend in with the rest of the milieu. If he had stuck himself in the crowd he'd likely miss the forest for the trees. If there was going to be an attack, it was more likely to come from outside the throng. Even a few short paces back allowed him a much better vantage. Besides, while Durendal was a fine weapon, it would do him no good in close quarters with the people packed like tinned sardines.

[Malexia]

Humanity Now Rally, Saturday Evening

The tenor in the crowd changes as a new speaker takes the stage. This one, this one you recognize.

While June Lang may harass the League consistently, she's an expert at the PR spin and always knows how to manage her words very, very carefully. While not technically affiliated with Human Interest, to many she is the voice of the movement even more than some of the figureheads actually part of the group. But if anyone were to name a second voice, it would be the man now taking the stage.

Paul Carpenter is a mid-40s firebrand with intentionally-messy hair and a "man of the people" persona. He's never worn a tie on camera, fills his social media feed with pictures of him eating at local restaurants, and has a knack for charming every journalist that's tried to interview him. He's been an advocate of stricter measures against metahumans from the very start of the movement, and with the rise of Humanity Now he's finally found his niche.

"Thank you all so much for being here. It warms my old heart to see so many impassioned citizens coming out to make their voices heard. Alone it can feel like the weight of the world is crushing you, but together we will not succumb to those who would do us harm. They may have flaming eyes and magic swords, but we have the indomitable human spirit and the strength of numbers!"

"Remember that, as our enemies gather and become bold. Remember that, as our so-called protectors give excuses and play dumb. Remember: we are stronger than them. We are the people of Halcyon, and for too long we have been silent as these so-called "superhumans" entrench themselves in our governments, in our places of learning, in our very homes. They think they are better than us, but they are wrong!"

There's a cheer from the crowd, Humanity Now swept up in their idealogue's opening number. They know he's just getting warmed up, and they're already hooked. The tension in the air is thickening, and a few of the onlookers just here out of curiosity or perverse entertainment are sharing nervous glances.

"Humanity must not bend the knee to-"

"That's quite enough out of you, worm-throat."

Carpenter's speech is abruptly cut off by the arrival of four supervillains directly onto the stage behind him.

The four appear in a flash of cold blue-and-silver light. The one who spoke first is a woman with an Eastern European accent and a bandolier of knives strung across her chest. She looks more like a hired killer than a villain, but splashes of color on her body armor and knife handles betray a flair for the dramatic.

Beside her is the source of the teleportation, a woman with flickering blue eyes and a hi-tech suit with a central core emitting the same light as signaled the crew's arrival. Where the knife nut is all smirks and posture, the teleporter acts with perfect professional precision. As soon as her passengers have their footing, the teleporter is gone in another flash, and she reappears on the rafters above the stage, crouched and watching like an owl.

The two other passengers are more immediately recognizable, and each one of you has at least heard of these clowns: a pair of D-list villains never known to work together, they make an odd couple. There's Platinum Perfect, a villain who relies on wacky gadgets and who talks a big game but rarely ever delivers. He's seen as an easy target for heroes looking to pad their numbers, though his unique power - combining random objects to create unreliable future-tech - means he never stays in jail for long. He'd be shipped to the Cold Room for repeat escapes if he wasn't so utterly harmless in a normal situation.

He's paired with the Transcendent Frog, an ordinary lab frog that underwent extreme experimental mutation and developed hyper-intelligence. It also made him quite deranged, and he dreams of world domination and a race of cyborg super-frogs under his command. He uses cybernetic limbs to manipulate his array of personally-engineered weapons, which are usually all various kinds of non-lethal ray.

Platinum Perfect immediately shoves Paul Carpenter to the ground and grabs the mic, already showboating. "People of Halcyon City, your favorite supervillain is here! I, Platinum Perfect, will wow you with incredible feats of daring and dastardliness! Watch in amazement as I turn this silly little rally into a day you'll remember for the rest of your lives!"

To his side, the Transcendent Frog rolls his bulbous eyes and picks Carpenter off the ground, gripping him tightly with a robotic hand. He says nothing, but merely gives a manic grin and pulls a loaded syringe from his lab coat. You've never seen him use something like that before, and you can easily guess what must be inside.

But both of them are just distractions. At a glance, the dangerous one is obvious: the gal with the knives. She immediately proves that assumption by tossing three knives into the air above the crowd. Mid-air, each knife blinks out of existence - different from the teleportation, this must be her own power - and is replaced with a canister of a murky blue substance. It doesn't look like anything you saw in the facility, and something's off about the way it moves inside the canister, but the design of the canisters is identical to the kind of tech you saw in the New Dawn facility.

The action's kicking off... but not all of you are near it.

Fox and Void, you're in the middle of the crowd and closest to the stage. As the canisters arc through the air they're headed directly over you. JigaWatt is further away, able to get a good view of everything happening. Errant, however... you're far. You can hear the chaos and see the flashes of light, but if you want to reach the crowd or the stage in time to do anything you'll need to push yourself. Maybe even push your powers.

It's all to play for. What do you do?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Fox: If you want an easy exist, the solution is obvious: use the crowd. Either as camoflage or cover, the terrified mass of bodies will be key to an escape if one proves necessary. As far as what's most valuable here... that becomes obvious the second those canisters are in the air: the people. New Dawn is after the people attending the rally.

Errant: If you want to get to the rally quickly, unleash your powers.

Anyone: If you want to try and get a bead on the two unknown elements, roll + Mundane. On a 7-9, pick one and I'll tell you who they are. On a 10+, both. On a miss, they notice you noticing them.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions: Angry
Potential: 4/5

It was about time. He slipped the stone from his pocket and in quiet whispers spoke the word. Ansuz. Then it all went wild.

Chaos erupted, people scrambling to get away and in the chaos Kye pulled the shadows close. In the next instant he was closer to the stage, weaving through the people as Fox as dark wisps of energy rose from his form. The canisters were nothing good, no one threw chemicals into a crowd with the intent to help out. With a motion of his hand, more shadows drew up in large claw tipped hands to snatch them from the sky. "Catch." he snarled, lobbing them back to the villains as he continued to march upon them with blazing red eyes.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled to Directly Engage. Took "take something" and "impress/frighten/surprise".

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:0/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

Of course it was a villain attack. And Alex was in it all alone, or he thought he was, until Fox showed himself. He was relieved that he wasn't alone, but... that hero seemed familiar, but was it because he saw them on TV? Or did he actually know them? It was hard to recognize faces when the face was covered by a mask, so he'd have to ask about that later. What was more concerning was the fact that they had thrown the canisters at the stage. They were still going to break once they hit the ground, and there was more than just villains on that stage for that gas to affect. He didn't know what they were exactly, but with the rumors flying around about a serum, and from what the... frog man? (it was so hard to keep track of all the villains that were around) pulled out, the gas was probably just like it, or maybe even worse. And the guy threw the canisters onto the stage!

He couldn't really stop them now, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get the canisters before they hit the stage, so he had to go for the next best thing, and engage Transcendent with the serum so he could get at least a few people off the stage before the canisters hit. And to do so, he had to get there quickly. So, it was time for Void.

Void started running, barging past the people around him, rushing for the stage. With the people around him panicking, he was able to get to the stage with little resistance. Transcendent didn't seem to notice him at first, so he took the opportunity to rush the frog and grab the arm holding the serum. He started draining Transcendent of his energy, and grabbed Carpenter away from him, pushing the man off the stage, and into the crowd.

"You know, as much as I don't like the people here, I'd rather these people not get powers forced upon them against their will. So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Unless you'd like getting hit by the gas you were trying to throw into the crowd?" Void starts dragging Transcendent off the stage. Getting as many people away from the stage was the plan, so he started yelling at the crowd. "And what do you people think you're doing? Get away from here, now!"

If the small time villains weren't enough to get them away from here, Void's presence would certainly send them packing. At least, he hoped it would.

Spoiler

Show

Rolled to Directly Engage and got a 12. Choosing to "take something" in the form of Carpenter, and "create an opportunity" by getting the villains distracted by himself and the crowd running away from the scene.

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.

Aiden's instincts were right. His position at the shelter, removed from the action, gives him a great view...of the chaos happening well outside of his useful range. "Oh, Uther's dreams!" Halfway through charging into the fray, he sheepishly realizes his second great oversight. He's still in civvies. Swearing some more, he ducks behind a tree.

A sequence of panels framed from the front of the tree show Aiden disappearing behind it from the right, a beat panel, a flash of white light coming from behind the tree, and finally a fully-armored Errant White stepping out to the left.

Reaching the edge of the crowd to join his compatriots, he shouts out, "Halt, evildoers! Stand down, and no harm will come to you!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 2 to unleash my powers. Marking potential, bringing me to 3/5.

[Captain Jak]

JigaWatt
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +3
• Danger: -2
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +2
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Stage-fighting: When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.
  
  
• Time for the show: When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior.
  On a 7-9, name one NPC present.
  On a 10+, name two NPCs present.
  The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice.
  On a miss, your display catches someone watching in the wrong way.
  
  
• The gossip mags: When you tap into the gossip and rumor of the celebrity industry for information on an important city figure, roll + Superior. On a hit, you can ask the GM questions. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
  - What are they up to?
  - What or who do they most care about?
  - What allies do they have? Enemies?
  - Where and when can I find them?
  - How could I make them vulnerable to me?
  On a miss, ask one anyway, but they hear about your interest in them.
  
• Suck it, Domitian: When you stand strong while dramatically under fire, roll + Savior instead of + Danger to directly engage a threat.

Holy— It is on! Even as the little dramatic speech begins to unfold, JigaWatt is swiftly taking a moment or two to get into character. Hand out of pocket with GoPro, powered on, hat and glasses swept off heedlessly to the ground, headband crammed into place. Hood flipped up, zipper yanked up, situation – amped up!

A brief surge of charge through his deck polarizes it enough to send the magnetized trucks flipping away, and he hops aboard. Shedding a cracking corona of electricity as he rises into the air, he makes of himself an immediate focal point of attention and an obvious target as he taps his camera into record.

"Oh, I'm sorry,," he calls out with projected confidence as he sees the casks of chemical shimmer and vanish under the familiar effects of Fox's power. "Did you really think you could just slide in here without someone already prepared to kick your asses?" he demands with mockery in his voice.

"How about you do not unleash any more crap like that on these people," he goes on, levelling a lightning-shrouded hand at Daggers, "and we settle this without you lot getting hurt too badly?" He forces down the squirms of unease in his belly, much as he would at the onset of a risky stunt. His choice of words are meant as much for his audience as for the villains, but the message imparted by them is clear – leave the civvies out of it.

It is, of course, at this point that he realises that the canisters – rather than being removed to some safe location – have been turned back upon the stage and those who stand upon it.

What.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Provoke Knives into not unleashing any more WMDs: 11

[Malexia]

Humanity Now Rally, Saturday Evening

Fox, you speak the command word into the runestone and see it flicker with light, briefly, then go dark. There is no further sign that the spell has worked - at least, not physically. Through your sixth sense you can feel a new prickle in the air, the presence of your maybe-mentor watching from across the immaterium.

With a burst of magic and a bold entrance to the scene you catch the canisters with darkness and send them flying back - straight at the stage, at Knives and the wannabes and the rally leader. Knives' eyes widen when she sees the payload returning her way, not expecting such a rapid response. She scrambles aside and nearly trips over herself getting out of the way, but she can't move quick enough to escape what comes out.

You were expecting a liquid agent, like before, but that's not what comes out. It's a gas.

Spoiler: Effects

Show

Knives is frightened by your ruthlessness and will mark Afraid.

Knives's Conditions: 1/3

JigaWatt, you're in the air and already taunting the baddie. Fox will take care of it, you know he will, you trust your teammate. You give your speech, as full of mockery as you can muster, and you're about ready to plaster on the smirk and revel in your superiority... when the canisters shatter and the gas spills out.

Oops.

Knives stumbles to her feet and slicks back her mussed hair, putting on a smirk to meet your gaze. "You may have your demands, flashy one. No need for further display, da?"

Spoiler: Effects

Show

Knives is satisfied with the results of the first payload and cedes to JigaWatt's Provoke, agreeing not to unleash any more canisters.

Void, you see it happen, and you're too late to stop it, but maybe you can do some triage. You blitz the stage and grab the Transcendent Frog, applying the drain liberally and shoving his hostage away and into the crowd. You see him sprint away, pushing through the crowd to be the first to get away. Grappling the Frog with an iron grip, you shout at the crowd and galvanize them into motion, giving the last kick they needed to flee screaming from the spreading gas.

Gas that, while no longer centralized, is still spreading into the crowd from the stage.

The exodus is panicked and crude and violent. People are tripping over each other and screaming at each other to get out of the way, and then-

"Halt, evildoers! Stand down, and no harm will come to you!"

The appearance of a knight in shining armor might be a comfort to most people, and it is to some... but this is a crowd full of people who were, just moments ago, railing against the very heroes that have come to save them. And when the knight steps into view at the edge of the crowd, it causes just enough of a spook for the first line of those fleeing to stop - not to step back, just to stop, but even that is enough - and cause a cascade through the crowd.

Spoiler: Effects

Show

With Errant's failed Unleash, I'm making a move against the crowd.

The stragglers are caught behind the mass of bodies, and they breathe in the fumes.

And they change.

It's only three people who are caught in it, the slowest to move of the whole crowd, but those three transform in a sickening display. One screams, and his voice become sharp enough to shatter steel... which it does, cracking a rafter beam above and prompting the teleporter to vanish and reappear on a different one. The scream is cut off by foam bubbling out of his mouth, and he falls to the ground and curls inward.

The second, a woman, clutches at her head, muttering, while the veins on her arms start to glow bright blue. When she looks up, her eyes have gone milky and she charges wildly, blindly, in the direction of the crowd, who scream at her approach.

The third has the most violent transformation. He grows, and as he grows he mutates. Scales, spines, fur, feathers, becoming a true chimera of mixed creatures. He tries to speak, but only guttural shrieking comes out.

Fox, witnessing these horrors could be upsetting, but you're made of stern stuff. How do you feel?

Spoiler: Effects

Show

As part of the trading blows, take a powerful blow for what you're seeing and your inadvertent part in it.

Platinum Perfect starts to look a bit green in the gills and holds a hand to his mouth. At first it seems like he's affected too, but then he gasps out, "That is so gross! Oh, oh I can't look at that, ew ew ew."

The villains on the stage - and Void, who can't help but breathe in a little of the fumes - seem completely unaffected by the gas. No transformation, no discoloration, nothing. They're all completely immune.

The Frog hacks and coughs as he struggles to escape Void, but gives a wicked grin regardless. "Perfection! The perfected serum is perfectly perfect! I told you, didn't I? I told you!"

Knives rolls her eyes at him. "Shut up, useless toad. You had no part."

"I am not useless!"

Void, you feel a sharp pain in your side. The source is immediately evident: a syringe jutting out of you. The syringe that the Frog was going to use on Carpenter. He must have sleight-of-hand'd it when you grabbed him. You might feel afraid of what might happen... but nothing does, and the syringe is easily dislodged, now empty of serum. Does the close call still sting?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

As part of the trading blows, take a powerful blow for the near calamity.

The Frog stamps his feet in a full-blown tantrum. "AGH! I HATE YOU!" The Frog is now Angry, and still grappled.

Spoiler: Effects

Show

Frog's Conditions: 1/2

Platinum Perfect, annoyed that no one is paying attention to him, activates his rocket boots and zips into the air, flying straight for JigaWatt. "Hey, skater boy! Let's you and me make some noise!"

The two mystery villains remain where they are, content to watch their less-competent teammates take the brunt for now.

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.

Errant White stands, his dumbfounded expression hidden behind his helm. "I meant the supervillains, not you people. Get out of here!"

With the three unfortunate souls menacing the remaining people, Errant White quickly interposes himself. Raising an open hand to the sky, he cries out, "Durendal, to me!" and the sword shimmers into existence in his hand. "You're not hurting anyone today," he says to the no doubt incoherent empowered people, holding his sword at the ready.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 7 to defend the crowd. I will add a Team to the pool and expose myself to danger.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions: Angry
Potential: 0/5

Fox watched as the defenseless citizens were morphed by the gas. There was some level of disgust with it, watching people contort and change, but it was cut with a heavy level of fascination. Perhaps it was simply the touch of magic that made all sorcerers become paranoid, power hungry, untrustworthy monsters, that tinge of something new and unknown that made him want to see just how much this could change...and of course his own screaming humanity that it is not OK to experiment on regular people. That particular buttress hadn't been knocked down.

It was his mess but it paled in comparison, trapped under a mattress by the weight of your dead parents while their blood soaking through, to the horror show that had been the impetuous for all of this. Watching Errant bungle in only sparked his anger more, fanned the flames deep in him but it wasn't right to leave the Knight alone. It was a gamble but his feet moved to join Errant at the front lines. "Come, beasts. Your tormentor stands before you. We are who you want, so follow and the hunt may begin."

He then promptly turned and ran, no small feat in robes. The goal was to get the beasts away, somewhere he could deal with them or the ones that followed at any rate. Then, a moment of clarity as he cast his gaze back. "Corax." he called out, wind whistling through the holes of his mask. "An offering. Take them."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 4 on the Powerful Blow. That's an Advance. Took The Littlest Spice Pirate from The Nomad

Rolled an 8 on a Are you Watching Closely

Taking Create an Opportunity and Avoid Further Entanglement

[Captain Jak]

JigaWatt
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +3
• Danger: -2
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +2
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Stage-fighting: When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.
  
  
• Time for the show: When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior.
  On a 7-9, name one NPC present.
  On a 10+, name two NPCs present.
  The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice.
  On a miss, your display catches someone watching in the wrong way.
  
  
• The gossip mags: When you tap into the gossip and rumor of the celebrity industry for information on an important city figure, roll + Superior. On a hit, you can ask the GM questions. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
  - What are they up to?
  - What or who do they most care about?
  - What allies do they have? Enemies?
  - Where and when can I find them?
  - How could I make them vulnerable to me?
  On a miss, ask one anyway, but they hear about your interest in them.
  
• Suck it, Domitian: When you stand strong while dramatically under fire, roll + Savior instead of + Danger to directly engage a threat.

The unforeseen consequences of the larger dispersal method roll out across the stage, and JigaWatt's blood runs cold. What...did those maniacs do? PP in particular gets his blood boiling; the callous disregard of others and the selfish focusing on the man's own image and attention-seeking ways are reprehensible! Who acts like that?

Dipping and swirling a little to throw off showers of sparks, JigWatt reaches deep into his anger and pulls out a passionate performance.

"The name's JigaWatt; you'd do well to remember it, Shoddy Silver," he calls out, aware of the mass of people below privy to their encounter and attempting to plug into their empathy. "And you're making more than enough noise for the both of us; why don't you just light'n up?," Sending a bolt of electricity arcing back and forth between his hands almost-but-not-too quickly to be seen for a moment, he throws his hand out toward the shining simpleton and lets fly with a torrent of lightning!

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Stage Fighting: marking Angry to Directly Engage with Superior rather than Danger: 9
JW will avoid PP's blows.

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:1/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

The syringe was a bit of a shock. Alex would have definitely freaked out about the mutations even after there was no effect (and probably will after this is all over), but Void only felt a sting from where the syringe entered his body. He'd taken harder blows before when... no. 'Those aren't my memories, they're the hero's. Gotta keep them separate.' He knows he took harder hits when he was a villain, and the liquid didn't do anything, so it wasn't a big deal for him.

What was a big deal was that he only had one person helping to fight the villains. The civilians needed protecting, of course, but with two of the four villains being actually competent, it was going to be a hard fight with only two people against them. So he was going to even those odds.

Void grabs Transcendent's arm with his other hand, spins the guy around, and throws him in Knives's direction. The frog lands next to her with a thud, and Void turns his gaze towards the woman. "Your move, Knives."

Spoiler

Show

Rolled a 3 for take a powerful blow, marking potential.
Rolled a 7 for directly engage, picking 'resist or avoid their blows'.

[Malexia]

Humanity Now Rally, Saturday Evening

Errant White, you make your stand and hold firm.

While the screamer continues to curl on the ground and foam at the mouth, the beastly mutant - now a monstrous chimera - and the woman with blue veins - now crackling with strange energy - both charge the crowd. With fang and claw and spines, with lightning that looks an awful lot like JigaWatt's, they tear toward the crowd with inhuman ferocity. The masses run, terrified, crying, but they should not fear - for you are here.

With blade in hand you stand before your opponents. Durendal sings, eager, though you ensure with a quick thought that he will not cause undue harm to what are, despite their monstrous appearance, just more victims in all this chaos. The chimera reaches you first and slashes with wicked claws, but you easily bat aside both strikes with your empowered blade. The beast's fangs close around the blade, but Durendal unleashes a jolt of power that sends the chimera reeling back. The lightning woman latches on to you and starts to send electricity pulsing through your armor, but you bat her aside with the hilt of Durendal.

It creates just the opening Fox needs.

Fox, you join Errant and deliver your taunt to the two mutants, mixing in just a touch of glamour to ensure your words reach them through the haze of their mutations. They growl in unison and lunge after you, and you lead them on a merry chase out of the crowd and into the more densely-forested region of the park. You sprint far enough into the woods that you are beyond the sight of your more coherent adversaries, and you are alone with the mutants... or perhaps not.

You reach for the runestone and call to it once more, entreating your would-be mentor to intervene. You call it an offering, but a little voice in the back of your head reminds you that it was your request that Corax not lend any aid to the mission. For a moment, nothing happens, and you wonder if perhaps this will be one of her promised harsh lessons, but then...

"I am here, my student. Watch... and learn." Her voice is a whisper just to the left and behind you, a soft murmur straight to your ear and sending a cold, uneasy shiver down your spine. You can feel her hand on your shoulder, pressing gently, but you see no sign of her, and not even the shadows can discern a physical presence.

The runestone in your hand cracks open, and a cacophony of light and shadow spills out. The unleashed magic tears apart the nearest trees and disturbs the soil, but though it appears as pure chaos, you glimpse a hint of order in it. The energy disperses into the uprooted trees and turns branches and roots into tendrils of living wood that move to encircle the mutants. The chimera and the electric woman are bound tight, and the roots petrify, but the new stone formation is shattered by chimeric strength and mutant lightning.

The mutants lunge at you again, but in an instant they are frozen in place, and a thousand runes fill the air, each glittering in different colors and flickering between multiple forms. As the dust settles, you see that they are trapped in the center of a large and perfectly flat section of dirt cleared by the initial burst of energy.

Corax whispers to you again, just beside you and yet far away, her voice creeping into your ear. "The circle, my student. Show me that you have perfected your art."

No chalk is provided, but you do not need it. A simple stick will suffice this time. Your movements are quicker than before, practiced, and the transposition circle forms elegantly and without error. Perhaps it is the result of your studies, or perhaps it is the presence of Corax guiding you in ways too subtle for you to notice. You believe she can read your mind - can she control it as well? The idea is chilling.

The circle is made, and as before she gives you a command phrase. You speak it, and both mutants vanish to only Corax knows where... though you could hazard a guess. No matter; it is done.

JigaWatt, you blast Platinum Perfect with glorious lightning. He brings out some fancy mechanical toy to try and divert it, but you are stronger than he is and your electricity surges past his paltry defense and all the way down to his rocket boots, glitching them out and sending him zooming back, crashing into the stage. He groans, "Ow," and stays there, still conscious but clearly needing to catch his breath. Or maybe he's just Afraid of what will happen if he tries to fight you again.

Void, you send the Frog flying with ease, and he flies back just as Platinum Perfect is hitting the stage. The Transcendent Frog slams his head into something heavy and droops. He would probably also mark Afraid... if he weren't completely out cold.

You give Knives your taunt and she turns her nose up at you, scoffing. "Knives? How uncreative. I am Strivari, little piggie. But, since you invited..."

Strivari whirls with a swiftness that is almost superhuman, though you're sure she's not using any powers that affect mobility. A knife comes flying from her - but not at you, Void. At Errant.

Errant, you're so busy dealing with the mutants and protecting the crowd that you see the knife all too late. It flickers only a meter away, and in its place is a massive hammer - a sledgehammer, maybe, or it could be a real life warhammer. It reaches you before you can react and slams into your chest with all the force of a hammer inheriting the velocity of a thrown knife. Your armor doesn't crack, but it can only absorb so much force, and the remainder of the shockwave knocks the breath from your lungs and sends you stumbling back, gasping for air. Take a powerful blow.

Spoiler: Villains

Show

Strivari is Afraid, and has marked 1/3 Conditions.

The Transcendent Frog is Angry and Afraid, and has marked 2/2 Conditions. He is out of the fight.

Platinum Perfect is Afraid, and has marked 1/2 Conditions.

The teleporter has marked 0/3 Conditions.

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.
• [X] Never give up, never surrender: When you take a powerful blow from someone with far greater power than you, use this move instead of the basic move. Roll + Savior. On a hit, you stand strong and choose one. On a 7-9, mark a condition.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.

Magic armor or no, a warhammer to the chest is more than enough to irritate anyone. And blindsiding people like that is just bad manners. "How about you quit showboating for your fans with that D-lister and focus on the real threat? Some of us are trying to help people today!" Thankfully Fox arrives to draw the tranformed people off of him, giving Errant White a moment to catch his breath.

As soon as he does, he rounds on Strivari, brandishing Durendal. "Errant Red warned me about hitting ladies," he growls as he charges her. With one deft strike, Durendal severs the bandolier of knives strapped across her chest, leaving the knife nut unarmed but unharmed. "And who says chivalry is dead?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 7 to take a powerful blow. I will lash out verbally and provoke a teammate to foolish action. I will follow that up with Fight the good fight. Rolled a 12, so I will take Strivari's bandolier of knives and create an opportunity for my allies.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions: Angry
Potential: 0/5

Fox finally lets out a breath. Running from dangerous enemies wasn't new or novel but costumes were heavy and robes ungainly. He'd have to hurry back to the real fight here soon but in the silence of the forest he took a moment to speak aloud. "We thank you for the assistance." He moved the runestone in his fingers, felt its coolness through his gloves. "You asked only for recon, we trust test subjects exceed your expectations." With a quick movement of his foot, Fox smears the summoning circle back to dust before making for the fight once more.

[Captain Jak]

JigaWatt
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +3
• Danger: -2
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +2
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Stage-fighting: When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.
  
  
• Time for the show: When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior.
  On a 7-9, name one NPC present.
  On a 10+, name two NPCs present.
  The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice.
  On a miss, your display catches someone watching in the wrong way.
  
  
• The gossip mags: When you tap into the gossip and rumor of the celebrity industry for information on an important city figure, roll + Superior. On a hit, you can ask the GM questions. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
  - What are they up to?
  - What or who do they most care about?
  - What allies do they have? Enemies?
  - Where and when can I find them?
  - How could I make them vulnerable to me?
  On a miss, ask one anyway, but they hear about your interest in them.
  
• Suck it, Domitian: When you stand strong while dramatically under fire, roll + Savior instead of + Danger to directly engage a threat.

JigaWatt had handled the Platinum Poseur handily when the man had come right at him, but doesn't even get a moment to appreciate his own efforts as Errant derides his accomplishment – sure, it's easy for a trained fighter to mix it up, but this isn't his specialty! – and goads him.

Well, he's certainly in a mood to oblige, at the moment.

"Showboating?" he exclaims incredulously, slewing his board around in a shower of sparks. He runs his gaze over the stage even as Errant shrewdly attacks Stabby McGabby's ability to do ridiculous tricks, taking genuine offense at the banners hung upon the scaffolding amongst the speakers.

Hmmmm.

"You want showboating?" he calls out, throwing his arms wide before bringing his hands close before him, fingers crooked into claws. "Stand back!"

Electricity limn his hands for an instant before lancing out to run crackling over the stage scaffolding, energizing it. Wrenching with arms and powers both, JigaWatt collapses the scaffolding in upon itself, shredding the hateful hatespeak banners that call him and his obscene in the process of being bent into a crude cage that bends itself towards the villains onstage – and with a little luck, maybe dump the teleporter on her ass as well.

He might not be the most skilled fighter, but messing things up with his powers – that he has a great deal of experience in.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Unleash to use stage scaffolding to trap villains: 12

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:1/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

And suddenly the fight was wildly in their favor. But Knives was still a problem that needed to be solved. And then the opportunity came to solve that problem in the form of beams falling to the stage. And with her thoroughly distracted by Errant (That was his name, right? It's been a bit since they talked), she could be put right under the beams. She just needed the right... push. Might put himself in a bit of danger, but that's going to be Alex's problem soon enough.

Void quickly ran behind Strivari, and tackled her. With the extra boost in energy from the frog, and the full force of his body ramming into her, Strivari came crashing to the ground with Void, right under the falling debris. "Should've been paying more attention to your surroundings, Knives."

Spoiler

Show

Rolled for a directly engage and got a 7.Choosing to create an opportunity for my allies.

[Malexia]

The chaos is unfolding quicker than anyone expected. At the edge of the area, beyond the rally's loosely-defined borders, most of the crowd has dispersed, certainly all of the Humanity Now types have vanished into the cityscape, but you do see a few clusters remaining. They look less like the usual supremacists and more like average people who happened to walk by, the various curious onlookers who were here more for the entertainment than the beliefs. Their attention is still riveted as the duel reaches its final act.

Errant, you shake off the aftershocks and charge the stage, Durendal raised. The sword sings for justice, but you will sate it with a more measured approach. Strivari glares at you, but a flicker of fear crosses her face. This fight is not going how she expected it to.

Knives come flying at you, each transforming into different objects that you bat aside. Durendal is in peak form, carving through everything that Strivari throws at you. And then you're there, right in front of her, sword cleaving through the air - and severing the bandolier, which you kick off the stage.

Strivari's face is full of hate and rage now, but up close she's not much taller than you, maybe even the same height, and without her knives she loses all her intimidation factor. Still, she spits in your face and hisses, "You think you're better because of shiny armor and magic sword? You think you're so much more than rest of us? You will burn, shiny lion. You, and your friends, and your city, and your precious castle too. Your pride will burn this world."

Spoiler: Effects

Show

Strivari is now Angry and Afraid, and has marked 2/3 Conditions.

Errant, she's telling you who you are and shifting your Superior up and your Savior down.

JigaWatt, you have just about enough of these loser villains and ornery heroes cramping your style. You know exactly how cool you are, and you're going to show the world. Your power isn't just sparks and fireworks shows and little electronic tricks. You are a wellspring of energy from which flows power that even Fox and Errant with all their magic could never hope to match. You're the main man. You're the storm.

You dip into that wellspring and call upon your gifts, channeling great arcs of electricity out of your body and into the world, the lightning that is your birthright tearing through hateful banners that call your glory something to be ashamed of. The lightning travels up into the rafters, already weakened by the screaming mutant, and the weak scaffolding cracks and tears and comes crashing down.

Void, you see your opportunity and pounce on it. The sky is falling and Strivari is running, dashing to get out from under it, but you won't let her. You tackle her straight into the path of the debris, and she screams with pure animal hatred as she hits the ground.

You hear a new sound, and see a flash of light, and the teleporter is there next to you, grabbing Strivari and trying to pull her away from you, trying to rescue her, but she's too slow. The makeshift cage falls, and slams into you - not hard enough to break any bones, not with the expert hand of JigaWatt guiding its descent - with just enough force to pin you there and leave you feeling bruised and tired. It's painful, but the agony of defeat must be worse for the villains trapped alongside you.

Spoiler: Effects

Show

Void, take a powerful blow.

All four villains have now been defeated.

Fox, you arrive in time to see the fight cleaned up. JigaWatt has just imprisoned all four villains - and some unlucky hero kid - in a cage of scaffolding. In front of the stage, the mutant that screamed earlier has stopped foaming and is just twitching in the fetal position. The gas is still in the air, glacially dispersing, but nobody vulnerable is near it. It looks like... you won.

JigaWatt, you're already reveling in your victory just seeing the raw results, but then you hear a shout from the lingering crowd.

"Hey, is that JigaWatt?"

"It is! I recognize him from Youtube! Hey, JigaWatt: Amp'd for life!"

You turn around to see the few clusters of onlookers start cheering for you. Many of them have their phones out and recording, while others seem to be looking you up to figure out more about the hero who saved them.

"JigaWatt! JigaWatt! JigaWatt!"

Oh, yes. This crowd is eating out of your hand.

Spoiler: Effects

Show

The crowd is telling you who you are, shifting your Superior up and your Mundane down. How do you respond?

The battle is over. Now to bask in the accolades.

[Captain Jak]

JigaWatt
Conditions:
Potential: 1/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +2
• Danger: -1
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +2
• Mundane: -2

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Stage-fighting: When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.
  
• Time for the show: When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior.
  On a 7-9, name one NPC present.
  On a 10+, name two NPCs present.
  The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice.
  On a miss, your display catches someone watching in the wrong way.
  
• The gossip mags: When you tap into the gossip and rumor of the celebrity industry for information on an important city figure, roll + Superior. On a hit, you can ask the GM questions. On a 10+, ask three. On a 7-9, ask one:
  - What are they up to?
  - What or who do they most care about?
  - What allies do they have? Enemies?
  - Where and when can I find them?
  - How could I make them vulnerable to me?
  On a miss, ask one anyway, but they hear about your interest in them.
  
• Suck it, Domitian: When you stand strong while dramatically under fire, roll + Savior instead of + Danger to directly engage a threat.

For a moment the fiery satisfaction burns through JigaWatt; when he brings down the house, he brings it down!. But then he sees that some of the scaffolding has in fact come down right on top of some of the mercenaries, and another kid who had gotten onto the stage at some point.

For someone who supposedly was a wiz at making things happen with his powers just how he wants them to, he’s turned out to be a danger to those he wasn’t actually attempting to hurt. It’s...a sobering realization.

The anger that had flared up in him is already beginning to dissipate in the wake of trashing the stage, which leaves him feeling uneasy at the words coming from pockets of his fans.

"This!" he shouts out, making sure his voice carries to the remaining crowd. "This wasn’t a stunt, none of these people were playin’, and folks got hurt." He takes a breath. "Some of them because of me. This isn’t a celebration; this is a tragedy that we’re damn lucky isn’t worse than it is." If this is what being a hero is supposed to feel like, he has no idea why anyone does it.

"Don’t go cheering for me; someone call for paramedics, make sure others are all right," he urges, before dropping out of the sky on his board to skim over to the stage.

"Is everyone all right here? Does anyone need medical attention," he asks, scowling slightly. It feels...odd, to check on the well-being of people who had largely tried to hurt him.

It also feels…necessary.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Reject who the Amp’d are telling him he is: 11
Shifting Freak down, Danger up. Marking Potential.

[DreadPirateH]

Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.
• [X] Never give up, never surrender: When you take a powerful blow from someone with far greater power than you, use this move instead of the basic move. Roll + Savior. On a hit, you stand strong and choose one. On a 7-9, mark a condition.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.

The White Knight can't help but backpedal as Strivari spits on him. Who does that?!

He doesn't have much time for a retort to her scathing words as JigaWatt brings down the scaffolding onto all four of the villains - and another kid! Oh ****! Without hesitating, he leaps at the structure, cutting through it with Durendal to get the other guy out. "Whoa! Hey man, are you okay? Talk to me!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled a 7 to reject influcence. I will take influence away from Strivari and take +1 forward against her.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

Fox slowly moved back into panel from the forest. Saying nothing, as was his usual, he watched the smoke filter off into the air. Corax had test subjects now, the ideal outcome finding a way to reverse and thus counteract the mutation. It was something he would need to disclose to the others as well, though with the League also getting a chance at the perpetrators, some leverage would be denied them.

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:2/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

Void was a bit bruised, but was otherwise fine. He stood up once Errant got him free, and dusted himself off. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for helping. Uh... do you not recognize... oh, duh, you only know him, not me."

'Sorry about this, Alex. But right now, the fighting's all over, and you need to talk to these people that just helped us.'

Void starts changing right in front of Errant and the others, and soon enough, Alex is standing where Void once stood.

"Uh, h-hi a-a-again. I-It's been a... bit s-since we l-last met, h-h-hasn't it?"

Alex was incredibly anxious and a bit terrified. He was acting completely different from how Void had acted, and was looking down at his feet instead of at anyone's faces. He looked like a bit of mess, and not just because of the fight. He look tired, and drained, and he looked like he was shaking a bit. He was keeping his hands in his pockets and glanced up at JW with a guilty look in his eyes, quickly looking away when he saw JW notice he was staring.

"Um... i-is e-everyone alright? C-cause if you're n-not, I c-could try and... t-t-take some of your p-pain away... I-It w-w-won't hurt! I-I p-p-promise."

Spoiler

Show

Rolled a 5 on take a powerful blow. Marking experience.

[Malexia]

Humanity Now Rally, Saturday Evening

The pseudo-celebrity's words are sobering to the amped-up crowd. While some are still recording guilelessly, unconcerned with your speech, others begin to look embarrassed and a few quickly start typing in numbers and making calls while someone mentions a spot of medical training and starts checking on the everyone that was close to the action or part of the roiling exodus.

But all of that is happening in the background now; your focus, JigaWatt, is on the trap you laid and the consequences of it.

You don't have the skills to assess what kind of condition the villains are in, but you can at least see them breathing. The D-listers are out cold for sure, while the mercs are either lightly unconscious or playing dead. They are... well, they're not uninjured, but you didn't break anything important. Well, anything medically important; you definitely broke a lot of the gear they were using.

Errant, your blade makes quick work of the scaffolding pinning this new hero, and though the sword balks at such menial labor it takes to its task with efficiency and expertise. You are easily able to extricate Void without releasing the four villains.

As the four of you draw together, one of the onlookers suddenly cries out.

"S**t! Two other places were hit, and it looks bad."

The crowd's attention turns to social media. Those of you who look to it yourselves will find chaos and panic; the other two attacks seem to have been more successful than the one you foiled here, and social media timelines are filling up with hastily-taken pictures of terrified civilians and crazed mutants. There's no official reports yet, just random civilian reporting, and you can't tell where the League is in all this, but you can imagine they're likely caught in the thick of it.

It looks like Fox's quick thinking prevented a genuine tragedy here... but the same can't be said of the other teams involved.

[Razade]

Fox
Conditions:
Potential: 0/5

So the other two places had in fact been hit. He would ask where the League was in all of this but he suspected he knew the answer, it was one he'd felt since the moment they'd stuck their nose in. This was not, by some chance, bad fortune coming to roost. This was planned and they'd stopped the mechanization of those in the shadows here this day. It was small victories, the defeated voice in his head said, that won the day. If you were not dead the Sons and Daughters of Albion taught, then you were victorious for the fight raged on so long as you drew breath. "Do we think this was mere providence?" he asked out loud, eying the new hero slowly.

"That with the League watching, we would see two of three struck so? Surely this will be presented to us that we are too small, our forces unable to solve all such problems. A farce, a play by those who dwell beyond the truth. From wine to vinegar, even failures can be useful. We have secured specimens affected by the fool's weapon. Free from the League's clutches. This one's own failure perhaps is not so grievous as the Fox had thought."

It would need some distance to mention that those specimens were, actually, with Corax. A fact sure to delight Errant to no end when it was exposed. Not here, not in front of unfamiliar heroes who might in turn reveal Corax's hand in this to the League. Not in front of civilians either. "We should in turn secure these" he motioned to the villains. "Such that someone other than the League will hold them. A game of chess is at play, I see no reason we should choose black or white. Let us steal the board while they scramble. Your wizards of Albion are fond of chess, Errant. Perhaps they would like to lend a hand in this."

[DreadPirateH]

Errant White
Conditions:
Potential: 3/5

Spoiler: Labels

Show

• Freak: +0
• Danger: +0
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• [X] Fight the good fight: When you pull your punches while directly engaging a threat, you can roll + Savior instead of + Danger. If you do, you cannot choose to impress, surprise, or frighten your foe.
• [X]The legacy matters: When you take Influence over someone from your legacy (or give them Influence over you), mark potential and take +1 forward. When someone from your legacy causes your Labels to shift, mark potential and take +1 forward.
• [X] Never give up, never surrender: When you take a powerful blow from someone with far greater power than you, use this move instead of the basic move. Roll + Savior. On a hit, you stand strong and choose one. On a 7-9, mark a condition.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.
  
  - you get an opportunity or opening against your attacker
  - you rally from the hit, and it inspires the team; add 1 Team to the pool
  - you keep your attacker’s attention
  On a miss, you go down hard but leave your opponent off balance and vulnerable.

Errant is relieved that the other boy seems unhurt, and surprised when he somehow changes into someone familiar. "No, I'm unharmed. I'm glad you're...wait. I know you! Void, right?"

As he's helping the other boy, Fox makes his reappearance. Most of what he says goes right past Errant, being cryptic as usual. "Hey Fox, thanks for taking care of the mutants. Come meet Void!"

[Abbyqween]

Void
Conditions:
Potential:2/5

Spoiler

Show

• Freak: +1
• Danger: +2
• Savior: -1
• Superior: 0
• Mundane: +1

The voice of Fox did sound familiar to Alex, but he was more focused on other things at the moment: the cryptic words that Fox had just said. He had to take a bit of time trying to parse out what Fox actually meant, and even more to piece together something to say. He didn't like to mess up his words, especially with a certain two heroes in his presence. "Uh, V-Void is t-the name I u-use when d-d-doing hero w-work. Y-You can j-just c-call me Alex. Um... F-Fox, right? I, uh... I-I think w-we s-should w-worry about t-the people w-who w-were affected by t-the gas r-right now. F-Finding a cure f-f-for it would h-help with fighting a-against it i-in the f-future, and I-I don't t-think t-that there's e-enough c-clues to figure o-out who's b-b-behind this y-yet... U-unless you all h-have already g-gathered some, in w-which case, I-I'm s-sorry for assuming t-that."