Tales of a Dark City (All Hell, Pyramid Head)

[The Stray]

The Patriot Society

The Patriot Society is a group of like-minded superheroes looking out for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Or at least that's the spin. In reality, the Patriots are a superhuman group bankrolled by the military to act as a PR vehicle for the interests of the American government, not necessarily the American people.

The Patriots were an offshoot of the Super-Soldier experiments conducted during the Avatar Crisis of the 2010's. Unlike Project Utopia's Team Tomorrow, the Patriots are directly answerable to the military, and most of its members are recruited from the Army or the Marines. They function much like the National Guard, called in to deal with threats on the home front such as natural disasters, riots, and alleged terrorist plots. They are also used as PR vehicles, promoting American values and acting as spokesmen for the USA overseas. They have been used in "Police Actions" in foreign lands, as well as secret "Black Ops" missions that have been denied by the Powers That Be. In short, they are what many people feared a government-sponsored superhuman team would become: stooges of the Powers That Be to keep the government in power.

That is the perception, at any rate. However, the Patriot Society actually has more leeway and autonomy than they are really given credit for. They do not actually receive orders from the government; they receive requests for aid, ones that the patriots have denied in the past (though not without repercussions). They also take on jobs completely on their own initiative, especially when the more idealistic members get their way. They may be flawed, but they are America's own Superteam, and they strive to live up to that image in everything they do.

[Scribbles]

I'm very interested in getting Jinx posted. When would you be free to do so? Or if you could post her stats, I can get her back story for you. If you think that would be a better option. Maybe even Blair/Banshee? Let me know. Thanks

[The Stray]

Doppelgänger



“I’ll be seeing you...”

Concept: Psychic Assassin; PL 9; PP 135

Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18

Saves: Tough +7/+3, Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +6

Combat: Attack: +5, +10 Melee; Grapple +12; Damage: +8 (Kung Fu), +4 (Mental Blast), +5 (Sword); Defense: 21/12; Init +2

Skills: Acrobatics +10 (8 ), Bluff +12 (8 ), Climb +6 (4), Diplomacy +12 (8 ), Gather Information +12 (8 ), Knowledge (Theology & Philosophy) +6 (4), Notice +5 (4), Sense Motive +5 (4), Stealth +10 (8 )

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus 5 ( Melee), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 4, Dodge Focus 7, Equipment 1, Hide in Plain Sight, Improve Initiative, Power Attack, Second Chance (Mental Grapples/Mind Control), Sneak Attack, Stunning Attack

Powers:

Kung Fu 6 [Strike 6; Power Feats: Mighty]
--AP: Leap of the Heavens (Leaping 6; x 100 Distance)
--AP: Monkey Fools the Jaguar (Trip 6; Extras: Always Resisted by Dexterity; Flaws: Range (Touch))
--AP: The Pinch (Suffocation 3; Extras: Duration (Sustained); Flaws: Action (Full-Round))

Morph 4 [Any humanoid; Flaws: Phantasm; AP: Concealment 4 (Visual senses; Flaws: Phantasm)], Super Senses 5 [Accurate Mental Senses, Mental Psychic Awareness], Super-Movement 1 [Air Walking]

Telepathy 8 [Mental Communication, Mind Reading; Power Feats: Subtle]
--AP: Emotion Control 8 (Extras: Duration (Continuous); Flaws: Action (Full-Round))
--AP: Mental Blast 4
--AP: Mind Control 8
--AP: Psychic Shockwave 5 (Stun 5; Extras: Area (cone))

Equipment: Sword (Strike 3; PF: Mighty, Improved Critical)

Notes: Max Attack: +10/Max DC: +8; Max Defense: +11/Max Toughness: +7

PROFILE
Alternate Identity: Brother Matthew Sephiros
Occupation: Infiltrator and Agent provocateur
Group Affiliation: The Brotherhood of the Third Eye
First Appearance: Tales of a Dark City #38
Sex: Male
Age: 27
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 160 Lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
Abnormal Type: Mage/Psychic
Allegiances: Group (The Brotherhood of the Third Eye)
Motivations: Power, Thrills
Complications: Secret (Agent of the Third Eye)
Personality Traits: Calm, Charming, Arrogant
Virtue: Temperance. Doppelgänger tends not to act rashly and tempers his desires. He rarely lets his emotions get the better of him.
Vice: Pride, Sloth. Doppelgänger is arrogant, and prefers manipulating others into doing his dirty deeds. While he is quite capable of handling combat, for instance, he dislikes the effort and prefers mind-controlling stooges to fight in his place. He seeks to use the minimum amount of work to get his ends accomplished.
Nature: Rogue. Before his initiation into the Brotherhood, Brother Matthew lived on the streets running cons and generally looking out for himself above all others. Even now, his motto is still "Look out for Number One."
Demeanor: Conniver. Brother Matthew tends to try tricking or manipulating others into doing what he wants rather than expend the necessary efforts himself. Even years of disciplined training has failed to break him of this habit.

Description: Brother Matthew is tall and handsome in an arrogant way, with stark white hair, intense blue eyes, and a seemingly permanent smirk on his face, as if he always knows something others don't. He is leanly built, with tightly compacted muscles honed by years of martial arts training. The most striking feature about him, however, is the massive tatoo of a stylized eye inside a sunbeam that adorns his chest. Close examination reveals that the tatoo is actually a scar, chemically burned into his flesh with lye during his initiation ceremony. However, he is normally not seen in his normal form, preferring to use his morph power to hide his features until he can get close to his targets.

Powers: Brother Matthew is one of seven head lieutenants of the Brotherhood of the Third Eye, a secretive cult that professes a belief in "unleashing the true potential of the mind, body, and soul." He was trained for many long, grueling hours to get his body into peak fighting condition, and undergone painful ordeals to open his mystical Third Eye Chakra.

He has the psychic ability to cloak his form in an illusionary disguise, and his formidable mental powers allow him to easily sway minds. He can blast people with pure psychic energy

Tactics: Brother Matthew prefers a good con to slugging it out in combat. He usually relies on his mental abilities first and foremost.

Origins:

Presenting Brother Matthew Sephiros, the Doppelgänger. he's a sneaky kung-fu type who has bedeviled the party with his infiltration techniques and his mind control powers. His main threat comes from his suite of mental abilities, though his Kung-Fu Fightin' techniques are nothing to sneeze at.

[Wordmaker]

You seem to have been quiet Stray, good to see you back!

[The Stray]

That's mostly because my internet access hasn't been great this last month. It's all I can do to keep up with some of the threads (Like Wordverse) that I love to peruse. Hopefully I'll be able to get better access soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

[The Stray]

Jinx



"Ye know, tis not nice to mess with the luck of the Irish."

Concept: Unlucky Irish Biker Bitch; PL 9; PP 153

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 18

Saves: Dmg +7 (+2 Flatfooted), Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5

Combat: Attack: +6, +10 (Ranged); Grapple +7; Damage: +1 (unarmed), +2 (Knife), +3 (pistol); Defense: 21/12; Init +6 (2 + 4 Imp. Init.); Run 30/60/120; Size Medium

Skills: Acrobatics +8 (6), Bluff +9 (5) (+17 w/ Attractive), Craft-Mechanics +4 (4), Diplomacy +4 (0) (+12 w/ Attractive), Disable Device +8 (8 ), Drive +10 (8 ), Escape Artist +10 (8 ), Gather Information +10 (6), Knowledge (Streetwise) +8 (8 ), Notice +10 (8 ), Search +8 (8 ), Sense Motive +5 (3), Sleight of Hand +10 (8 ), Stealth +6 (4)

Feats: Attack Focus 4 (Ranged), Attractive 2, Beginner’s Luck, Benefit 1 (Wealth), Contacts, Defensive Roll 5, Dodge Focus 6, Equipment 5, Fascinate (Bluff), Improved Initiative, Luck 3, Redirect, Second Chance (Mind Control), Set-up, Taunt, Ultimate Bluff, Ultimate Will, Uncanny Dodge (Hearing)

Powers:

Freak Accidents 9 [Blast 9; Extras: Range (Perception); Flaws: Uncontrolled, Unreliable; Power Feats: Subtle, Variable Descriptor 2]

Jinx 8 [Probability Control 8; Extras: Jinx; Flaws: Jinx Only, Side Effect (Suffer effects of Jinx on next action, always occurs); Power Feats: Subtle]
--AP: Nullify (Magical Effects) 8 (Extras: Effortless; Flaws: Side Effect (Free GM Fiat on failure))
--AP: Nullify (Magical Effects) 8 (Extras: Duration (Concentration), Randomize; Flaws: Side Effect (Nullify 8 [Ex: Randomize] on self on failure))]

Luck Control 2 [Effects: Force Re-roll, negate HP or Fiat; Flaws: Side Effect (Backlash [Free setback or GM Fiat against self, always occurs]; Power Feats: Subtle]

Nemesis 3 [Flaws: Action (Move); Power Feats: Subtle]

Equipment: Leather Jacket (Protection 1), Light Pistol (Blast 3), Knife (Strike 1; Power Feats: Mighty, Improved Critical [19-20]), Jinx's Harley.

Jinx’s Harley

Size: Medium; Strength: 15; Toughness: 8; Speed 5
Features: Hidden Compartment, Oil Slick, Caltrops
Powers: Cloaking Device (Concealment 2 [Visual])

Notes:
Max Attack: 10/Max DC: 8; Max Defense: 11/Max Toughness: 7

PROFILE
Alternate Identity: Kira Flannery
Identity: Public
Occupation: Fugitive from Justice
Group Affiliation: Watchmen
Base of Operations: Deva’s Dystopia
First Appearance: Tales of a Dark City issue #2
Sex: Female
Age: 25
Height: 5’4
Weight: 125
Eyes: Dark Green
Hair: Dark Red
Abnormal Type: Nova psychic
Allegiances: Group (Family), Group (Watchmen)
Motivations: Responsibility (family), Justice, Thrills
Complications: Accident (unlucky), Enemy (Cryptkickers, Bloodfangs, The ARD) Reputation (Wanted felon, former Cryptkicker), Temper.
Personality Traits: Bold, Temperamental, Carefree
Virtue: Hope. Although Jinx is carefree and will do what she wants, even if it may be on the wrong side of the law at times, she hopes that one day her parents will look at her in the eye with pride and joy instead of remorse.
Vice: Lust. Jinx loves the sense of adventure and will either go looking for it, or it finds her.
Nature: Thrill-seeker. Jinx loves to look for trouble. Its in her very essence.
Demeanor:Rebel. From childhood, Jinx had to always question authority. Whether it be her parents, or even the law. And even there was boundaries set, she did whatever it took to see how far she could go past them.

Description: Jinx is athletically built with long red hair. One can always see her wearing tight black leather pants with a cropped shirt. Usually black as well. She wears a black leather biker jacket. She looks like an angel, but don't let the looks fool you! She can be dangerous as she wants to be. She has a haunting look to her eyes that seem to mesmerize your very soul. One of Jinx’s prized possession is her motorcycle. Mess with it, there will be Hell to pay!

Powers and Abilities: Jinx seemed to be able to talk her way out of most any situation. Her luck powers are subtle, yet prove a point. Don’t piss her off or mess with the “Luck of the Irish” even if it’s bad luck. It’s not HER fault if the gun suddenly goes off in her enemies hands, or if there was grease on the floor and they slip and fall! But karma can be a Bitch sometimes. What goes around, comes around, and Jinx seems to be at the receiving end of it. Although she tries to control her powers, it tends to follow her like an unlucky black cat. Recently, she discovered that she can exploit her enemies weaknesses to defend herself, but never reliably. While she was a Cryptkicker, she learned to wield a gun and defend herself physically on top of her new gained powers.

Background: Kira Flannery was born in Kilkenny, Ireland on March 17, 2003 to Colleen and Patrick Flannery. She has an older brother of 2 years, named Sean Patrick, and a younger brother of 5 years, named Aidan. At the age of 9, Her father moved them to Drake City to pursue a well paying job as a partner at the law offices of Wolfe, Feng, & Ley. Her mother, after arriving in Drake City, got a job working for Athena University. Upset, she started rebelling, threatening to runaway on numerous occasions. At 15, she ran into some Cryptkickers. Loving the thrill and the freedom, she decided to join them. Upon her “rite of passage”, something strange happened to her and to those around her. It seemed that those who had weapons, suddenly didn’t and from out of nowhere, a lamp hit Jinx on her head. Everyone stood back and stared at her bewildered. But they saw that she could have great potential with the gang. Soon she began to run “errands” for Remial Mortis and helped to control the docks in their territory. Even though she considered all of the Cryptkickers her friends, she couldn’t bring herself to take the ghoul treatments needed to alter herself. To keep up appearances with her family and their associates, she stayed in school, but barely. Her family was devestated upon finding out that she became a member of a gang and did everything in their power to keep her away from the Cryptkickers, from having her sent to the Hawthorne Juvenile Detention Facility to Jillian’s Home to Wayward Girls, and finally a private school located outside of Drake City near Candle Hill called Brooks and Foster Boarding Academy, where she ran away many times. There she met a girl named Reann D’Avon. She never hung out with Reann, but met years later as Watchmen.At this time, wanting to protect his little sister, Sean Patrick enrolled to become a ARD agent.

At the age of 17, life with the Cryptkickers was fun, be Jinx wanted more. She knew of a club called Deva’s Dystopia, but didn’t want to push her luck getting into it because she never knew exactly what her powers would do if they came into play. It was ok when she ran with her friends, because that’s what was fun about her powers, but not in a room full of innocent bystanders.

For some reason, luck was on her side this time, thank God for that, but soon she was to find out out that it wasn’t going to last. A rival gang known as the Bloodfangs had entered Deva’s and started pushing around the patrons. Jinx saw an opportunity to shed a bit of their ill gotten blood, even if they weren’t vampires, they were all the same to her, but it didn’t matter. Her powers kicked into overdrive and suddenly people were losing drinks and weapons. But karma bit her in the ass as always and she found herself and face to face with a Bloodfang...and lost.

After recovering from her “motorcycle accident,” a strange man, who introduced himself as Eric Lang, approached her at her home. Apparently, he had seen what she did at Deva’s and wanted compensation for the damages she had done at the club a few nights ago. He promised that he wouldn’t report her to the ARD or to her family if she did what he asked. So, Jinx agreed to meet with him, hoping that she could take care of this mess without getting into too much trouble.

When Jinx got to the meeting, there was a few more people there as well. Surely not all of these people were here because of the fight that happened the other night, she kept thinking to herself. When Eric came into the room, it was as if he was there all along, because no one heard him enter. “I have a proposal for all of you sitting here. All of you have certain gifts that when used right, can not only benefit you, but others like you as well. It is your responsibility to defend those who can’t be defended and to stop those who wish to harm them. That is why I have decided to form a group of protectors, Watchmen, if you will.” Jinx decided that this was an easy way out to say. No community service, no payments, sure why not.
What’s the most she’s got to do, spy on someone with a pair of binoculars? How wrong she turned out to be.

Life with the Watchmen was an adventure in itself, the fights, getting arrested (again), meeting some cool people; Robin, Kevin, Von Jeggett, Sparky,Genisis and to her surprise (and much dismay), Reann. But the Watchmen and her life with the Cryptkickers wasn’t all that great. How could she be a gang member and fight crime at the same time. Jinx wanted out, but didn’t know which one or how. She was too tied up in both. After much debating, she found that she could have fun and try to look good in her family’s eyes if she stayed with the Watchmen.

It didn't last. Remial Mortis was working on a drug that would turn everyone in Drake City into Ghouls. Jinx worked with the Watchmen, letting them know when the drug and chemical shipments came in so they could stop Remial and his madness. Somehow Remial caught wind of what Jinx was doing and had his goons go after her. Afraid for her life and her family, Jinx went into hiding until she found out that the Cryptkickers had drove by her home and shot her younger brother Aidan. Outraged, Jinx went on a rampage, alienating herself from the Watchmen, vowing to take down every last one who dared to hurt her family.

By the time she was done, 3 Cryptkickers were killed and another 6 were seriously wounded. She would have continued on until she was brought down by an ARD agent known as the Shepard. She was sentenced to 10 years of prison with the possibility of parole in 4 years. Because her powers wasn’t a threat to the public, she was able to go to Virginia Penitentiary. There she tried to keep her powers under control, but mishaps did occur, but nothing major. She just shrugged it off as dumb bad luck. Jinx was for the most part role model inmate, so after 4 years she was up for parole. She got a visit from an “old friend,” an ARD agent known as Swarm. He said he could release her if she helped him get a abnormal who broke out of Hillside.

Wanting out, and wanting to do the right thing, Jinx agreed. She immediately went back to the Watchmen to find out information on this abnormal.Come to find out, the abnormal he was looking for wasn’t apart of the escapees and it wasn’t Swarm that let her out after all. Soon she found herself running from the law once again and relying on the Watchmen to keep her hidden.

Tales of Jinx: Into The Sewers, The Shepard Returns

Presenting Jinx, one of our PCs, with the permission of Scribbles.

Jinx is the bad roll magnet. She lurks around the rest of the party, using her luck control to nuke Fiats and bad guy rerolls, but this comes at the cost of her suddenly being on the receiving end of her own powers. She tends to run out of Hero Points quite quickly as a result, but that's why she starts with 4 every session. Essentially, she takes it on the chin to allow the rest of the party to get the job done.

Jinx's Nemesis tends to be defensive in nature, and tends to form things like Immunities, Save Bonuses, Impervious saves, and feats or skills appropriate to the situation (such as a massive bonus to Escape Artist if grappled). Thus far, it hasn't manifested anything overt or flashy.

Update 7/18/07: After her beating at the hands of The Shepard, jinx's powers gained a dangerous new edge in the form of freak accidents that cause massive damage...occasionally. She has no control over what happens when her power goes off, but it's usually dangerous for SOMEONE.

[ZiferCwellan]

And another Watchmen crawls from the Ether to make an appearance. Jinx has always been an interesting character. Back in 1st ed, she had that weakness that let the GM screw with her once per session. Stray never had to, Scribbles' dice did it for her. And yes. Never ever mess with Jinx's bike. Unless you're the Nighthood. I have fond memories of of stripping a few of the custom parts from the bike, selling them to the shop that works on the bike, and then giving the money to a family to make rent. Gave me the chance to establish Nightood's Robin Hood nature. In all fairness, this was just after Jinx (still running with the 'Kickers) had come into Robin's territory and caused trouble.

[Scribbles]

I remember that quite well, Zifer. I don't think Jinx ever got over that. But I have a great time playing her, even if she does get screwed in the end. But that's the charm of her. Not knowing when her powers are going to kick her in the butt or how hard.

[ZiferCwellan]

Rebirth of a Hero


Slowly, the darkness began to fade, and awareness returned to Robin. The first thing he felt was pain all over his body, except for his legs oddly enough. Then came the memories of his fight with Kaje in the Battledome. And the memory of what Kaje had done to him. Robin knew, even as he couldn't stop himself from swallowing that trickle of Kaje's blood, that he had been Turned. And, as if summoned by that memory, Robin felt the hunger. Not just hunger, but Hunger. Robin had felt it before, when he had copied powers from the vampires, but he now knew that had just been a filtered version. Nothing could have prepared him for what it was like to feel the Hunger in every fiber of his being.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked around. He was in some kind of round, brick chamber. The ceiling must have been at least a hundred feet up. About 20 feet below that, what looked like a catwalk suspended between the walls. And dangling from that on chains were a pair of legs. Robin sat up and looked down at himself. Sure enough, his legs stopped at about mid-thigh. I guess that explains why they don't hurt, he thought. He was also completely naked. From above him, he heard cruel laughter. He looked up again, and there, standing on the catwalk, was Kaje.

"So, the guardian of the Hellhole wakes," The Vampire Prince calls. "How does it feel to have become the very thing you've spent most of your life fighting? Oh, and don't worry. If you can get to them, your legs will reattach themselves."

"When I get out of here, I'm going to tear out your heart and shove it down your throat!!!" Nighthood yelled back.

Kaje just laughs again. "That's if you get out. Well. Have fun." And the vampire disappears from sight. Robin closed his eyes took a deep breath and let it out slowly, followed by several more as he calmed himself down. He opened his eyes again and looks around again as his mind begins work. "Don't think about your legs being gone," he tells himself. He turned himself over and crawled over to the wall. He puts his hand on the wall and tried to climb, but the bricks are coated with a slippery substance, and he can't make his hands stick. "Of course not. That would be too easy." Then he chuckles a bit. "Not only am I crippled, but I'm starting to talk to myself, too."

Robin sighs, then starts to work his way back across the floor until he positions himself directly under his legs. He takes a few seconds to gauge the distance, then flips himself up onto his hands. He flexes up and down a few times, then, with a mighty heave and shout, he sends himself flying up. Twisting around in mid-air, he just barely manages to get a hold on his dangling legs. Ignoring the morbid fact that he's hanging on to his own legs, he climbs. When he gets high enough, he unhooks one leg and pushes it up to one of his stumps then grimaces against the pain as the bone and flesh begin to grow together. A few minutes later, the one leg is whole again, and Robin pushes his other stump and leg together. And nothing happens. He looks closer at the leg, and realizes its not his.

Looking closer, he also sees that its a woman's leg. And its still bleeding. The smell of blood overwhelms Robin, and before he can stop himself, his new fangs bite in, and the fledgling vampire feeds, draining the leg dry. Its far from enough to satisfy him, but it does take the edge of the Hunger. He drops it, and it falls to the floor below with a wet thump. With effort, he pushes the thought of what he had just done from his mind, and climbs the rest of the way up to the catwalk. At one end is a door, and Robin can see light seeping in around the edges. He hops over on his one leg and tries the handle. Of course its locked.

Balancing himself as well as he can, he punches the door a few times, but all he manages to do is bend it a bit. He looks around, then works a small piece free of the railing around the catwalk. Using it as a crowbar, he pries the door open. Sunlight hits his hand, and burns. Robin drops the bar, which bounces once and rolls off the platform. Cradling his hand, he looks around outside as best he can without stepping into the light. It looks like he is on a farm. The building he's standing in looks like a grain silo. Judging by the abundance of weeds and undergrowth on the ground around the silo, the place has been abandoned for some time. And there, on the other side of the yard lies an old farmhouse. Robin sighs as he guesses the distance between the silo and the house. Maybe 400 yards or so. He braces himself and hops out into the sun, and then leaps towards the farmhouse. Immediately, his skin starts to smoke and burn.

It takes three mighty leaps to send Robin crashing through a dirt covered window. He rolls quickly, getting himself out of the direct sunlight. The burning lessens, but doesn't completely fade. He scans the room quickly. Looks like he is in the kitchen. Counters and a table are here, covered with layers of dust. Theres an empty space and wiring for a stove at one end. And over in one corner is a door. A door with five fancy new locks on it. Robin hops over and taps it a few times. The door sounds very solid. He scrounges around and comes up with a few rusty nails and bits of wire, and Drake City's best thief sets to work. Even with his skin still burning, he manages to quickly open two of the locks before disaster strikes. One of the nails he is using snaps. Frustrated, he throws his other tools across the room and punches the door as hard as he can. All he gets for his trouble is a hurt hand. The recoil throws him off balance and he falls over. He stands and looks around again. A little way down a hallway, he spies another door. Hopping over he opens it and discovers an empty closet. Knowing he doesn't have time to search further, he pulls the door closed behind him. He slumps down against the wall in near total darkness, and begins the long wait for the sun to go down.

[ZiferCwellan]

Thoughts in the Dark



The hours passing feels like days. He did his best to keep his mind occupied. He ran through every kata and sword form he knew in as much detail as he could, and after that recalling old memories. He started with images of his mother, but that led to his father as well. I wonder if he's even still alive. Robin had left when he was thirteen, and hadn't looked back since. Then he thought back to the early days of the Watchmen.

Robin never tells anyone, but he takes quite a bit of pride in being one of the founding members of the group. Eric may have been a stubborn, self-righteous, arrogant SOB, but he had a good vision. Robin had been doing his best alone to help the people of the Hellhole, but Eric showed him how much a group could accomplish. The lovely Reann and her caffeine addiction. Robin made the mistake of trying one of her special coffees once. One sip had given him the caffeine jitters for hours. The fiery Jinx. A rich kid who had taken to slumming with the Cryptkickers as a thrill. Robin was glad she had come to her senses. It would have been a shame to get in a real fight with her and mess up that pretty face. Von Jeggett, back before he became the von Jeggett. Back when Robin might have still been able to take him. Robin wondered how they would get along, now that he was a vampire. Hopefully he doesn't try and take my teeth. And Kevin. Robin smiled at the image of the whiny little Emo kid he used to be. At least until Robin had taken him under his wing a bit, giving him the kick in the ass, once or twice literally, the kid had needed. Robin was rather proud of the man Kevin had turned into.

Naturally, this led to thoughts of his Outlaws. After leaving the Watchmen because of philosophical differences, Robin had returned to the Hellhole. It wasn't long before he had gathered a small group of Abnormals living and working in the Hellhole. John was a construction worker, using his great strength to help build housing for those who couldn't afford it. Reverend Tucker Hunts had rebuilt and re-sanctified an old church. The vamps didn't care for that, and Robin had met the Preacher holding off a group of them just with the power of his faith. A few years later, he met Lana Walker during her Eruption as a Nova. She was a pretty young girl, and a group of thugs had noticed. Robin saw her getting dragged down an alley. She started screaming, and the screams got louder and higher pitched, shattering several lights.

"Let me go," she yelled, a very odd echo in her voice. Amazingly, the men holding her arms let go. A few seconds later, they shook their heads and started for her again, but another few seconds found them knocked out by Robin. Robin put his jacket around her to cover her torn clothing and took her home, where he met her twin brother William. The two were a couple of street kids, orphans who had probably never even known their parents. Will himself was a Nova as well, with the power to control the light around him. Robin once again found himself in the role of older brother as he helped the two develop and learn to use their powers, and at the same time teaching them the skills to help them survive on the streets.

And of course there was the newest Outlaw, Anya. She was an interesting one. Robin was at the clinic chatting with Kathy when the kid was brought in, suffering from a drug overdose. Robin followed the doctor as she went to treat her, so he was there when odd things began to happen. Things started appearing in the room, floating and swirling, then vanishing. The room itself took on different images, now a bedroom with the walls melting, then a dark and twisted forest with branches reaching out to grab at everyone. Robin tumbled his way to the girl, touching her and using his gift to copy her powers and managed to dispell the illusions long enough for Kathy to inject Anya with some of her extremely limited supply of Moxy. Robin dropped the illusion power as quickly as he could, but not before he got a glimpse into Anya's life. Robin left as the staff got to work saving the girls life, determined to go have a little "chat" with this Christine.

Robin visited her often as she got clean, probably for the first time in years. He took her on as another "little sister." Robin had discovered with the Walker twins that he was surprisingly good at teaching others how to use their powers. His method was simple, really. He would 'borrow' their powers and figure out how it worked, using his experience with a wide array of other powers he had borrowed. And he also worked to improve her 'sticky fingers.' She only thought she was good at stealing, but that was before she met Drake's King of Thieves. Then Robin remembered that Ace had been at the Dome during the fight. He wondered how she was feeling, having watched Robin killed.

And so, it was with thoughts like these that Robin passed the time in the darkness, watching through cracks in the door until the light started to fade.

[ZiferCwellan]

Hopefully, Stray won't object too much if I do the write-up for what happened in the wake of the Battledome. A lot of it happened in a little mini-session we did outside our normal game session. Plus it means that those in our group with internet access can read it and at least OOCly know what happened.

We fuzzed over the time spent hiding in the closet, skipping straight to what happened after the sun set, so I wrote Thoughts in the Dark to fill it in.

[The Stray]

Hopefully, Stray won't object too much if I do the write-up for what happened in the wake of the Battledome. A lot of it happened in a little mini-session we did outside our normal game session. Plus it means that those in our group with internet access can read it and at least OOCly know what happened.

We fuzzed over the time spent hiding in the closet, skipping straight to what happened after the sun set, so I wrote Thoughts in the Dark to fill it in.

No objections. Write away!

[ZiferCwellan]

Rebirth of a Hero, Part Two

Robin shook himself out of his thoughts. Glancing under the door, he saw that the light was finally beginning to fade. He stood awkwardly on his one leg and stretched as best he could in the cramped closet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something he had missed earlier. In one of the upper corners, there was a small red light. He looked closer, already knowing what he was going to find. It was indeed a camera. Apparently Kaje not only planned to humiliate Robin, he intended to film it as well. Probably plans to release it on on the OpNet, was Robin's thought. Again checking the light under the door, Robin figured it was dark enough for him to venture out. As he opened the door and hopped out, he turned to the camera and waved. On the other end, sitting in front of a bank of monitors, Kaje waved back.

Before returning to the reinforced door in the Kitchen, Nighthood explored the rest of the farmhouse. The only thing of interest he found was an old wardrobe in one bedroom. Not taking any chances, Robin checks the room first, not finding anything besides another camera. He examines the wardrobe carefully before he opens it. Hanging inside is lots of clothing, looked like straight-off-the-rack new. Looking closer, Robin discovers that they are all women's clothing. He snorts, and glances back over his shoulder at the camera. He checks a couple pair pants, but it looks like none of them would fit him without crushing some of the favorite parts of Robin's anatomy. He turns his attention to the skirts, finally picking one that not only fit but looked fashionable as well. Slipping it on, he searches the closet again, finding a jewelry box in the back.

He pulls it out and opens it. It is full of rings, earrings, necklaces and other pieces. Robin pulls out a locket and opens it, seeing the face of an older woman, but not one that he recognizes. He also finds a class ring from Athena University, class of 2025. He finds a purse and slips some of the more unique pieces into it, hoping to maybe find out who some of these women are so he could at least tell their families. He also puts in a handful of other jewelry, mainly brooches and earrings, along with a few necklaces before slipping the purse strap over his head. He turns and makes his way back into the kitchen. Using the clasps and pins from the various bits of jewelry as a makeshift set of picks, he sets to work on the three remaining locks. With the combination of pain from his burns and the Hunger raging inside of him distracting him, it takes more concentration then he's had to spend in years.

After nearly an hour and a half, the last lock finally clicks open. Smirking slightly, he straightens in triumph and pulls the door open. The smirk vanishes as he hears a slight *ping* followed by a rumbling noise. He jumps forward just in time as a heavy metal door slams down behind him. He rolls down a few stairs before he catches himself. He looks back up at the door and shakes his head, reminding himself to be more careful. He sits there for a few seconds in the darkness of the stairway before standing. His eyes start to glow slightly as he alters them to enable himself to see in the dark. As he does, from somewhere further down, he hears sobbing and whimpering.

"Let me go, you psycho!" a feminine voice shouts. Robin moves towards the voice. Coming out of a doorway at the bottom of the stairs, he sees her. She is chained hand and foot to a four post bed, completely naked. Or at least, she's chained by two arms and one leg. A freshly cauterized stump rests on the bed, answering the question of where the other leg had come from. On a small table next to the bed lie various surgical tools, including a hacksaw, most of which are stained with dried blood. The sight of the first living thing in hours causes the Beast within Robin to jump forward. Robin's lips curl away from his fangs, and a slight growl escapes his throat. The women sees him, and begins to pull against her chains, screaming for help. It takes a mighty effort, but Robin forces the Beast back, regaining control of himself. He starts hopping over to the bed.

"Calm down," he says gently. "It'll be all right."

"All right!" she screams. "All right! I've been kidnapped, dragged out into the middle of nowhere, chained to a bed, and had my leg sawed off by a psycho. How is it going to be all right?" Robin couldn't come up with an answer to that, so instead he starts to examine the lock on the chain around her leg. Much simpler than the locks on the door earlier. He fingers some of his makeshift lock picks as he glances at the surgical tools, especially the saw. Then he shrugs, figuring it would take about the same amount of time to pick the locks as it would to cut through the chains, so he settles in to work.

"So," he says as he works. "What's your name?"

"F--- you!" is her reply.

"Funny. You don't look Chinese." The woman just glares at him. "So do you have any family." Again, she just looks at him. He gives up on trying to get her to talk and focuses on the lock. She doesn't help much as she continues to thrash around on the bed, rattling the lock. He almost has it opened when a pull knocks the pin out of his hand. "Hold still!" he snarls, revealing his fangs again. She looks at him wide-eyed for a moment before she starts sobbing again. At least she's not moving anymore, he thinks, feeling bad for losing his patience with the poor girl. He can hear her whispering something, and leans in a little to listen. "Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name...."

He gets her leg and one arm unchained, fighting the Beast the entire time. Its especially hard now that he can smell her blood, the same blood that he had had a taste of in her leg. Finally, after what seems like an eternity but is in fact only half an hour, she is free. The woman flops off the bed and starts worming her way towards the stairs. In her fall, she reopens some of her wounds, and leaves a small trail of blood. This is what causes Robin to lose control. The sight of wounded prey trying to escape. With another growl, the vampire leaps over the bed, landing full force on top of the woman, knocking the breath out of her. Before she can recover, he has her gripped and bites into her neck. And experiences pure rapture has he swallows his first mouthful of hot, living blood. Unable to stop, he drinks. And drinks. And drinks, until there is no more. He comes back to himself as he feels her heart stop beating. He drops the body and stares at it, horrified, yet at the same time satisfied. And then he screams in rage as the full reality of what he had become finally hits him full force, the reality of what Kaje had done to him. Spying another red light, Robin leaps across the room, tearing the camera out of the wall and hurling it against the wall.

He storms over to another door and slams against it. Part of the door jam shatters and the door flies open. Inside is another room with a table. On the table is a bundle of clothing. And a leg. He picks up the leg and examines it to make sure its his. Yes. There, on the back of the calve is a small scar from a wound Robin had gotten a few years back. He holds it to his stump, and soon his leg is finally whole again. Now he looks at the clothes lying on the table. Black leather pants, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket. And a red bandanna, the gang color of the Bloodfangs. But no katana. Robin looks around, checking for the camera he knows will be there. And sure enough, he spies it. He jumps up on the table and lifts his skirt. He proceeds to urinate on the clothes, paying special attention to the red bandanna.

Figuring that would send a clear enough message to Kaje, Robin checks the remaining doors, finding only a bathroom and an empty bedroom. He goes back to other room. He looks down at the lifeless body on the floor, and a few tears roll down his cheek. Reigning in his emotions, he goes back up the stairs. He strains to lift the iron door, but he doesn't even budge it. He starts to set himself to try again when a sudden thought occurs to him. The whole area down here looks like a storm cellar. Its kind of odd that there would only be one entrance. He goes back down and starts to check around. Eventually he finds a crack. Pretty soon he sees the outline of a door, and soon after that he has it opened. He finds another stairway leading up to a pair of doors. He pushes against them. They move a little before something stops them. Robin can hear a chain rattling. Rearing back, he splinters them with one mighty blow. He emerges into the night air, at last free of Kaje's little rat maze. He lets the cool air flow around him as he scans around. And there, off at the horizon, he can make out the lights of Drake City. He peeks into the empty barn before charging off into the night at full speed.

"I wonder how long I've been gone," he says to himself as he sprints and leaps. "Hopefully nothing too bad has happened."

[Petterwass]

will there be a new profile for Robin as vampire?

[Flower_Faerie]

Its going to take a very long time for Ace to trust him again after this one. Her and her loathing for vampires. Great post though. The lifting the skirt to urinate on the bandana got to me. Great imagery.