The Wordverse - [Fall of the Bat]

[Wordmaker]

Welcome to the Wordverse. Characters from different sources thrown together in a shared world of danger and adventure! Every series of fights will be connected by a common story arc.

Feel free to make any suggestions or comments you like. I'll do requests if I know enough about a character, and go right ahead and steal any of my builds if you like them.

Generally, I keep to PL 10 with most characters, especially ones intended to be used as PCs. I find it's the most interesting Power Level for campaigns.

Key:
* Original character of my own creation
X Deceased

Previous Story: Transformers: Instruments of Destruction

Current Story: Batman: Fall of the Bat

Next Story:

Table of Contents:

A
Abomination
Absorbing Man
Alfred Pennyworth
Alicia Hendricks*
Aquaman

B
Bane
Barricade
Batman
Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)
Benny Hong*
Bill & Ted
Black Canary
Blackout
Bonecrusher X
Brandt (Equilibrium) X
Brawl X
Bruce Banner
Bruce Wayne
Bumblebee
Bullseye

C
Captain America
Captain Atom
Catwoman
Commissioner Gordon
Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger

D
Daniel Farrell*
Danny Butterman
Daredevil
Deadshot
DeceptiKITT*
Doctor Octopus

E
Eric Draven

F
Flash
Frenzy

G
Green Arrow
Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

H
Harry Dresden
Harvey Bullock
Hawkeye
The Hulk
Human Torch
Huntress

I
Invisible Woman
Ironhide
Iron Man

J
Jack Bauer
Jack Burton
James Bond
Jazz
John McClane
Joker
John Preston (Equilibrium)

K
Kingpin
KITT

L
League of Assassins
Leonard Bryce*
Lex Luthor
Liu Jian (Kiss of the Dragon)

M
Makh'lor'then
The Mandarin
Markus Valentine*
Martian Manhunter
Martin Riggs
Megatron
Metallo
Michael Knight
Ms Marvel
Mr Fantastic
Mr Freeze

N
Nicholas Angel
Nick Fury
Night Fox*
Nightwing

O
Obadiah Stane
Optimus Prime
Oracle

P
Penguin
President Miller*
Prometheus

Q
The Question

R
Rambo
Ra's al Ghul
Ratchet
Red Hood (Jason Todd)X
Renee Montoya
Robin (Tim Drake)
Roger Murtagh

S
Samantha Bryant*
Sam Witwicky
Sarah Connor
Scarecrow
Scorponok X
SHIELD Agent
Solomon Grundy
Spider-Man
Starscream
Superman
Synthia Lao*

T
Talia al'Ghul
The Thing
Top Dollar

U
Ubu

V
V

W
Wasp
Wolf Meyer*
Wonder Woman

X

Y
Yellowjacket

Z

Stories:

Vendetta
V vs The White Knight
V vs Commissioner Gordon
Interlude - Enter the Bat
Interlude - Father's Will Be Done
Interlude - First Impressions
Batman vs John Preston
Interlude - Tracking the Mark
Batgirl vs Bane
Interlude - Consequences
Interlude - Striking Back
Nightwing vs Brandt
Batman and Robin vs Bane and John Preston
Batman vs V
Interlude: Regrouping
John Preston vs The League of Assassins
Batman, Preston vs Ra's al Ghul, Ubu, Brandt vs V
Epilogue - No Rest

Rain in Gotham
Interlude: Rain Falls
Eric Draven vs The Penguin
Interlude: One Bird to Another
Robin vs Eric Draven
Interlude - There Ain't No Comin' Back
Batman vs Eric Draven
Interlude - Stacking the Deck
Interlude - Facing the Devil
Eric Draven vs Solomon Grundy
Batman vs Deadshot
Eric Draven vs The Joker
Batman vs The Joker
Eric Draven vs Top Dollar
Epilogue

Iron Curtain
Teaser #1
Teaser #2
Opening
Superman vs The Green Goblin
Interlude - A New Appointment
Batman, Superman vs Red Hood, Metallo
Interlude - Disturbing the Peace
Spider-Man and Daredevil vs Dr Octopus and Absorbing Man
Interlude
Wonder Woman vs Ms Marvel vs Abomination
Interlude - Storm Coming
Interlude - Overkill
Interlude - The Banner Protocol
The Hulk vs Superman
Interlude - Consequences
Interlude - Drawing First Blood
Captain America vs V
Interlude - To Snare a Bat
Batman vs Captain America and SHIELD
Interlude - Questions
The Question vs Iron Man
Interlude - Choosing Sides
Interlude - Choosing Sides Part 2
Interlude - Choosing Sides Part 3
Interlude - To Save The World
Interlude - War
Green Goblin vs Robin
Green Arrow & Huntress vs Dr Octopus
The Flash & Daredevil vs Mr Freeze
Batman vs Iron Man
Interlude - The Government Strikes Back
Interlude - Avengers...Assemble
Interlude - Not About Winning
Interlude - Betrayal
Captain America & Nick Fury vs SHIELD
Battle of the Watchtower Part 1
Battle of the Watchtower Part 2
Battle of the Watchtower Part 3
Battle of the Watchtower Part 4
Battle of the Watchtower Part 5
Spoils of War
Low on Fuel
The Bat, Alone - Part 1
The Bat, Alone - Part 2
The Bat, Alone - Part 3
The Bat, Alone - Part 4
The Bat, Alone - Part 5
The Bat, Alone - Part 6
Turning the Tide - Part 1
Turning the Tide - Part 2
Turning the Tide - Part 3
The Final Battle - Part 1
The Final Battle - Part 2
The Final Battle - Part 3
The Final Battle - Part 4
Epilogue

Lethal Enforcement
House Rules
Desperate Measures
Tough Choices - Part 1
Tough Choices - Part 2
Debriefed
City of Angels
Keep on Trucking
The Pork Chop Express
Unexpected Allies
A Phone Call

Transformers - Instruments of Destruction
Teaser
Prologue
Rendezvous
Rendezvous - Part 2
One Man...
One Man... - Part 2
The Crime Scene
An Investigation
Beneath the Streets
Steel against Steel
Robots in Disguise - Part 1
Robots in Disguise - Part 2
Robots in Disguise - Part 3
Levelling the Playing Field
Infiltration
Charge of the Autobots
Charge of the Autobots - Part 2
Charge of the Autobots - Part 3
Charge of the Autobots - Part 4
Charge of the Autobots - Part 5
Epilogue

Fall of the Bat
Teaser
He is the Night
A Rooftop Appointment
A Favour
Gearing Up
While the Bat's Away
Stakeout
Bust
Another Lead
Making Amends
The Devil You Know
Uninvited
The Fox Revealed
One Bad Bat
Bad Press
Evidence
Finding the Pieces - Part 1
Finding the Pieces - Part 2
Finding the Pieces - Part 3
Blackout - Part 1
Blackout - Part 2
Blackout - Part 3
Blackout - Part 4
Blackout - Part 5
A Call to Arms
The Hard Choices - Part 1
The Hard Choices - Part 2
The Hard Choices - Part 3
The Fox's Lair
The Bat No More - Part 1
The Bat No More - Part 2
The Bat No More - Part 3
The Bat No More - Part 4
Old Times
Bad Dreams
Something Wicked
Paper Trail
Interrupted Flight - Part 1
Interrupted Flight - Part 2
War on Gotham - Part 1
War on Gotham - Part 2
War on Gotham - Part 3
War on Gotham - Part 4
War on Gotham - Part 5
War on Gotham - Part 6
War on Gotham - Part 7
Without Hope - Part 1
Without Hope - Part 2
Without Hope - Part 3
One Last Time - Part 1
One Last Time - Part 2
One Last Time - Part 3
Faith - Part 1
Faith - Part 2
Darkness
Epilogue Part 1 - Last Laugh
Epilogue Part 1 - The Knight Goes On

[Wordmaker]

V



The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain.

Power Level: 10
Points: 174

STR 18 +4
DEX 18 +4
CON 16 +3
INT 20 +5
WIS 16 +3
CHA 18 +4

Attack: +10/+12 (melee)
Damage: +5 (Knife) +4 (unarmed)
Defence: +10

Initiative: +8

Toughness Save: +7, +5 (without armour), +5 (with armour and flat-footed), +3 (without armour and flat-footed)
Fortitude Save: +7
Reflex Save: +8
Willpower Save: +7

Skills:

Acrobatics 10 (+14)
Bluff 6 (+10)
Computers 6 (+11)
Craft (Mechanical) 10 (+15)
Craft (Chemical) 10 (+15)
Craft (Electrical) 10 (+15)
Diplomacy 12 (+16)
Disable Device 8 (+13)
Disguise 8 (+12)
Escape Artist 8 (+12)
Intimidate 8 (+12)
Investigate 8 (+13)
Knowledge (Current Events) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (History) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 10 (+15)
Medicine 4 (+7)
Notice 8 (+11)
Perform (Oratory) 10 (+14)
Search 6 (+11)
Sense Motive 8 (+11)
Sleight of Hand 8 (+12)
Stealth 8 (+12)

Feats:
Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Ambidexterity, Assessment, Attack Focus (melee) 2, Defensive Roll 2, Distract (Bluff), Distract (Intimidate), Equipment 5, Fearless, Fearsome Presence, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Master Plan, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt

Powers:
Immunity (disease, poison) 2

Equipment:
Knives (+1), Armoured Undershirt (+2), The Shadow Gallery (Headquarters - Small, Concealed, Holding Cells, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System, Workshop)

Plus 7 points of Equipment to vary as needed.

===============================================

I feel this represents the film depiction of V pretty closely. I tried to keep him at 150, but I just couldn't quite do it.

Design Notes:

I bought Knives with just the 3 Equipment Points. I know V carries at least 6 on him at all times, but since ranges weapons don't seem to have ammo listings, and fighting with two weapons is more or less a descriptive factor, I decided buying the weapon once would account for him having an arsenal of the things.
The most challenging part of this was deciding how good a fighter V should be. In the film he is shown mopping the floor with everyone he meets, usually before they can act (hence the Improved Initiative and Seize Initiative Feats). Most of his foes, however, are pretty hapless, so he relies on their poor training and his own ability to intimidate his foes (hence Takedown Attack, Startle, and Fearsome Presence). This could be his own undoing. He's a highly capable fighter, but he's never had to go up against someone who could potentially best him.
Ability Scores - I figured V should highly intelligent, but not so much that his plans were inscrutable. He's not incredibly subtle in his planning. Again, he relies on the narrow-mindedness and arrogance of his enemies to prevail. Against someone who can takes the time to consider him a threat (like Inspector Finch), his plans are probably not going to be as successful.
Skills - This man knows his stuff. He's an expert at demolitions. He knows how to spread fear and panic. Most importantly, he knows how to talk. When he speaks, people listen.

Edit: Raised V's BaB and gave him Power Attack.

Edit: Raised V's defence and gave him two ranks of Defensive Roll.

And who will our hero fight first?

Someone who represents the antithesis of V's ideals of freedom of speech and equality...

[/img]

[Wordmaker]

Prologue

On to our first fight. V versus The White Knight. To be honest, I'm worried for V. White Knight has some really good powers, which are more than enough to counter V's knives, and the potential for a small army of minions. Since this is the first fight, I'm going to give V a small advantage and not let White Knight have any of his minions. I want this to be a straight fight.

Statistics for The White Knight can be found in the Freedom City 2nd Edition sourcebook.

Daniel Foreman mused over the map on the wall before him. London was like every other city in the world. Sick with immorality, overrun by inferior races, corrupted by perverted lifestyles. He would change that, for he was The White Knight, and agent of purity in an impure world.

The sound came as a surprise. The brief gasp of fear followed by a gurgling choke and the thud of a body hitting the floor. Daniel turned and pulled on his hood to meet this intruder. He saw a man walking briskly through the lobby of the disused hotel, past the scum-filled marble structure which was one a water fountain. From under a broad hat, a white mask grinned.

"Greetings and thanks," the figure said, "for that warm and welcoming embrace of men too bold to see their weakness."

The White Knight sneered beneath his hood, "Who the hell are you?"

A tilt of the head, "I am the harbinger of your inevitable end. You may call me V."

A knife appeared in V's hand and was soon spinning through the air at the White Knight. Turning his head at just the right moment, the White Knight's face was knicked through his hood.

V rolls a 20 for initiative, easily beating White Knight's 16. He takes a -5 penalty to his Intimidate roll to perform Demoralise as a move action, rolling his Intimidate against White Knight's Intimidate check. With V's 19 against a 27, the White Knight isn't worried in the slightest. This is just another costumed fool.

V attacks with one of his knives, scoring a 22. The White Knight gets only a 17 and is hit. He manages to botch his Toughness Save. Wanting the fight to last longer than this, I give him the benefit of a Hero Point to re-roll, scoring a total of 20. V gets a Hero Point.


Laughing to himself, the White Knight raised his hands and, as righteous blue flame enveloped him, he unleashed a stream of fire at this masked assailant. V dove forward in a somersault as the flame licked around his cape.

White Knight uses his area-effect Blast on V, who passes his Reflex save easily for half-damage. A 20 on his damage save means all he suffers is a little scorching of his clothing.

The fire casting him into an imposing silhouette, V charged forward, drawing a pair of knives. Drawing his arms up behind his head, he struck downward, cutting a 'V' shape into the white tabard. His knives came away bloody.

V charges, rolling a 28. White Knight fails to dodge, but only fails the Toughness save by 1 thanks to his Protection.

Enraged, The White Knight swung with a powerful right hook at V's head, who quickly ducked, looking up at his opponent as if to express his disdain.

White Knight rolled a mere 13 to hit V, nowhere near enough against his 21 to dodge.

Rising up from beneath the still moving arm of The White Knight, V thrust with his knife, but blade merely bounced back from the Knight's skin. "Hmmm,” he muttered, as he spun, his cape billowing around him. In an instant, he had gracefully shifted position behind the White Knight

V's attack just barely hits the White Knight, but the Aryan villain proves too tough to hurt.

Spending the Hero Point he gained from my earlier bit of GM fiat, V takes an extra standard action and uses Acrobatics to pull a feint on his opponent, scoring a whopping 31!

The White Knight lashed out with a savage back-handed strike, which connected soundly on V's mask.

The attack hits, but V suffers only a Bruising condition, using up his last Hero Point to avoid the damage from the Knight's fiery aura. This luck will not last.

His foe in position, V struck again, driving his blade into the ribs of the White Knight. The scream reached V's ears and he knew he had his foe where he wanted him.

The feint pays off, V uses Extra Effort to gain the Power Attack Feat, putting +5 into his damage for this attack. White Knight fails his damage save by 7, taking a further level of Bruised and Injured, and becoming Stunned

Seizing the opportunity, V raised another knife over his head, the blade reversed, and drove it down, into the White Knight's back, piercing a lung and dropping him to the ground, coughing and gagging for air.

Using the Power Attack Feat again, V puts the full +5 into his damage, scoring a hit thanks to the White Knight's lowered defences. With the penalties from his previous injuries, the White Knight is reduced to disabled. The fight is over.

V leaned over and pulled the hood away, revealing the face of a frightened man. "Men in masks should hold themselves to a higher ideal, Mr. Foreman. Pity you won't live to see the error of your ways."

Daniel struggled to move as V manhandled him, tying his hands behind his back and his ankles together. "What're you....doing...?" he managed.

The caped man opened several drums of kerosene Daniel had been saving to cleanse the nearby slums and kicked them over, spreading the liquid over the floor. Then he took a small packet of matches from a pocket and struck one in silence before looking at Daniel.

"I am killing you."

"No! No please, I'll tell you anything. I...I know where he is. I can tell you where to find him."

V chuckled to himself, "Mr. Foreman, you have nothing to say to me that I haven't already learned for myself."

Daniel's eyes went wide, "Then...why...?"

V titled his head, "Because this death is the most fitting I can devise for you. Bound, helpless, and begging for mercy, destined never to know just why it is that someone you've never met can harbour you such unremitting hatred that your screams are the like honeyed chords of song in his ears."

He stood, and turned to leave.

"Goodbye Mr. Foreman."

V threw the match over his shoulder, and as Daniel Foreman's screams filled the burning lobby, he considered his next move. His target had fled London, and so it was that he would follow, and bring down his vengeance,

In a vendetta...

On Gotham.

===============================================

To be honest, I was surprised by this match. I was nervous for V when White Knight landed that blow, so I needed the feint and Extra Effort gamble to pay off. Had that gone poorly, V wouldn't have lasted.

So, while this is a victory for V, I don't think it was entirely conclusive. Looking back, I probably could have risked some more complex maneuvers with White Knight, but I wanted to keep him true to his description of not being a subtle tactician.

Still, White Knight's high Will Save meant that pretty much none of V's scare tactics were going to work on him, so it was just going to be a purely physical battle. If V had gone for a stand up brawl, he would have lost, probably would have been toast as soon as White Knight landed a grapple. Really the only weapon V had to use against the White Knight (considering I hadn't given him the benefit of preparing a plan with Master Planner or using his Inventor Feat to whip up a handy explosive device) was his superior agility.

If I were to rebuild the character, I'd probably consider giving him Power Attack as part of the build. It won the fight for him.

[Wordmaker]

Commissioner Gordon

If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment up on the roof.

Power Level: 5
Points: 75

STR: 12 (+1)
DEX: 12 (+1)
CON: 12 (+1)
INT: 16 (+3)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 14 (+2)

Attack: +3/+5 (ranged)
Damage +3 (light pistol) +1 (unarmed)
Defence: +3
Initiative: +5

Saves:
Toughness: +1
Fort: +3
Reflex: +1
Willpower: +6

Skills:
Bluff: 6 (+8 )
Climb 4 (+5)
Diplomacy 10 (+12)
Drive 6 (+7)
Gather Information 10 (+12)
Intimidate 6 (+8 )
Investigate 10 (+13)
Knowledge (Streetwise) 10 (+13)
Notice 6 (+8 )
Search 8 (+11)
Sense Motive 8 (+10)
Stealth 6 (+7)
Survival 6 (+8 )
Swim 4 (+5)

Feats:
Accurate Attack, Assessment, Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3, Favoured Enemy (criminals), Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Leadership

Powers:
None

Equipment:
light pistol, cell phone, handcuffs, 2 points of Equipment to be chosen as needed

Trade-Offs: None

Complications:
Responsibility (Barbara Gordon, members of the Gotham City Police Department)

Design Notes:

Gordon's a damned good cop, probably the best on the Gotham PD. He's a good enough detective that he probably knows who Batman really is, but he's smart enough and loyal enough that he will never take any action that would prove him right.
He's a solid leader, who puts his people first, and they know it. Plus, he can talk down most people at least long enough to defuse a volatile situation.

[Beleriphon]

You aren't going to have V fight the Bat are you? Because that would just be mean. Especially when you consider that V in many ways just a stripped down version of Batman with a penchant for elaborate speeches instead of brooding.

[Libra]

True. It would be far more fun to listen in on them debating methods!

You expound an interesting concept young Wordmaker, and your first fight shows promise. I'm sure you will fulfil it, so keep working!

[Wordmaker]

Thanks for the compliments!

I'm not sure if/when we'll see V take on the Bat. I have a Batman build waiting, I just might need to tweek it a bit. I tried really hard to keep it at PL 10 with 150 points. At the moment it's running PL 10 and 180 points.

However, I've no doubt that V would lose against Batman. Still, after the events of the most recent match, it may end up happening...

[Beleriphon]

[quote="Wordmaker"]
I'm not sure if/when we'll see V take on the Bat. I have a Batman build waiting, I just might need to tweek it a bit. I tried really hard to keep it at PL 10 with 150 points. At the moment it's running PL 10 and 180 points.
[quote]

I think that would be fine, Batman always struck me as an overpriced PL10 or a normally priced high PL. For an unpowered hero he has huge skill set.

[Wordmaker]

vs



Stats for Police and SWAT Officers can be found in the Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition core rulebook.

I was looking forward to this fight. V's built for taking on opponents weaker than him, so I expected him to do well. The addition of Commissioner Gordon worried me. I didn't expect Gordon to do too well, and I knew that how this fight went would determine the course of later events.

===============================================

"You don't need to be here, Commissioner," Bullock said, "Just one crazy, nuthin' to worry about."

Gordon shook his head, surveying the scene, "This isn't an ordinary hostage situation, Lieutenant." He took a megaphone from a uniformed officer and flicked it on.

"This is Commissioner Gordon. The building is surrounded and you have no way out. Come out quietly and we can talk about this." Squinting through his glasses, Gordon could make out a masked figure on the fourth floor, watching. He turned to Bullock, "Any word at all from this guy?" Bullock shook his head, "Nada. We've got SWAT standin' by, just waitin' for the word."

Gordon sighed, "Too risky, he might kill his hostage. Fire up the signal."

Snorting in disdain, Bullock turned to pass on the Commissioner's instructions. All attention was pulled to the building, however, when the entire fourth floor lit up in an immense fireball with a deafening explosion.

"Son of a... No time for the Bat," Bullock grabbed his walkie-talkie, "SWAT, get in there and take this whackjob."

Gordon swore under his breath, "Units 2 and 3 with me, Bullock make sure no-one not wearing a badge gets out of that building without an armed escort."

With that, Gordon ran for the main doors of the office building while pieces of shattered glass rained down around him.

*****

V stepped into the elevator. He had seen a dozen SWAT officers enter the building from his vantage point. Right now they would be gathering on the floor below, wondering why one single elevator was still moving. He reached under his cape and grinned.

*****

The SWAT captain gave the signal for his men to prepare their weapons. They were spread out, to gain maximum advantage when the doors opened.

V is about to set off a Master Plan to get past the SWAT team. He only scored a 10 on his Master Plan roll, so his bonus is just +1 for the first three rounds. He has a +10 damage rating shaped explosive device waiting to go off, which will create a cone effect. 8 of the SWAT officers are in the blast area.

The elevator 'dinged,' followed by an explosive blast which threw the doors across the corridor. The SWAT team was thrown into disarray. As the survivors pulled themselves out from under rubble and the bodies of their teammates, they tried to come to their senses. The captain and another six men weren't moving.

Five out of the eight officers pass their Reflex save for half damage. Two of those are killed instantly while one scores a 20 on his Toughness save. Of the remaining five, only one survives.

The ranking officer got to his feet and peered into the ruined elevator. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"Just an uninvited guest," came the reply.

V has announced himself, and the SWAT men are alert, so everyone gets to roll for initiative. V scores a 22 and the cops score a 13.

V dropped down from the emergency hatch of the elevator, catching the edge and kicking the SWAT officer with both feet, knocking the wind from the officer's lungs and dropping him to the floor.

The attack hits, but the officer passes his Toughness save thanks to his riot armour.

All five of the SWAT officers opened fire with their submachine guns, filling the air with lead. V ducked and swayed between the bullets, but one bullet grazed his arm.

One of the SWAT officers manages to land a hit, and thanks to the Autofire abilities of his weapon, V manages to fail his Toughness save, taking a level of Bruised and Injured.

Drawing a pair of knives, V stepped purposefully towards his foes. He slashed out at the first, slicing open his throat, before moving onto the next, tearing open his stomach. V's other blade came down diagonally, spinning in his hand to a reverse grip before plunging into the neck of the third officer. Thrusting forward with the knife in his right hand, piercing the fourth through the heart. Spinning, V ripped his left-hand knife from the neck of the still falling cop behind him. The throat of the last SWAT officer sprayed blood across V's mask before he fell against the wall and slumped to the floor.

With the SWAT team taken care of, V sets off down the corridor to make his escape.

"Freeze!" came a shout from the far end of the corridor. A man in a trenchcoat, wearing glasses, far too old for this kind of thing, was leading a team of uniformed police men through the emergency staircase.

"I will do no such thing."

Initiative is rolled again. V scores an amazing 28. Gordon gets 20, while the ten cops with Gordon get a mere 6. The effects of V's Master Plan have worn off.

Running forward, V hurled his knives, which spun through the air, imbedding themselves in the chests of two officers.

V uses Extra Effort to gain an extra standard action, which he uses to throw his second knife. Both attacks are successful and kill the officers. He also spends a Hero Point to double his defence for the round.

Gordon opened fire along with his fellow officers, but the masked man moved like lightning, untouched by a single bullet.

V's boosted defence is more than enough to keep him unharmed for this round.

Lunging left, V broke through an office door and drew two more knives.

The door's Toughness isn't enough to resist V's strength. This way he won't have to dodge quite so many bullets at once.

Gordon signalled two of his men to flank the doorway and another two to move inside. The cops saw V waiting, pressed against the wall. The pair moved quickly, rushing into the room and opening fire. Their shots missed as V's reflexes again proved superior to their aim.

V is now cornered. There is an air vent in the room, but going to the roof is out of the question due to the fire on the fourth floor. He can either fight his way through all of the cops, or try to escape to the basement and underground carpark. The cops aren't likely to let him get away, however...

Moving quickly, V slashed the throats of both cops in the room before emerging into the corridor and driving both his knives into the ribs of the two waiting cops as he walked passed them. They slumped to the floor. V turned to Gordon and the remaining two officers who were already shaking.

Again using his rank 2 Takedown Attack, V dispatches four more members of the Gotham PD with ease. Luckily for the other two, Gordon kept them back and they are further away from V than the 5-foot step he has left.

"Hold fire!" shouted Gordon. He looked across the corridor at the man who had just killed over a dozen police officers and dodged who knew how many bullets. The smell of smoke was drifting down from the floor above and the air was steadily rising in temperature as the fire spread.

"Look, no-one else needs to get hurt, okay? You can go, just let me get my people out of here. They're good men. They have families. You can even take me as insurance."

Jim Gordon's first priority in any situation is the safety of his people, and he knows he can't stop V. The damage here is already done, so the only thing that matters now is getting paramedics up here to see if they can save any of the men V has taken down, and keeping the two uninjured officers unharmed. He rolls his Diplomacy. V's attitude is Hostile.

Gordon rolls a 9, but he really needs V to trust him, so he spends his Hero Point to re-roll, getting a 10 on the die, to which he adds the 10 due to the Hero Point. Gordon's total result is 32, shifting V's attitude to Indifferent. It's the best Jim could have hoped for. He gets the Hero Point back for the Complication.

V nodded. Without a word, Gordon set his gun down on the floor and walked towards V. The masked man grabbed Gordon by the wrist and twisted his arm, forcing the Commissioner to face away from him as he pulled him close. Gordon felt cold steel against his neck. The two officers tensed. "Tell them to leave," said V.

Gordon nodded, "Get back to Bullock, get paramedics up here."

Although hesitant to leave, the officers followed their orders. V pulled Gordon back into the office. Gordon's heart raced and he hoped the medics would get there in time to help the men on the floor, though he knew many were already dead.

"A most selfless act, Commissioner Gordon. I have to admit to being quite surprised." V moved slowly back to the air vent.

"My people come first," he replied. "What about you? What's your story?"

"As you have seen, Commissioner, I am a man who does not like to be inconvenienced. I have come to cleanse this city of a most virulent infection. This vile and vicious land of villains and vigilantes is a mockery to justice. But when I am done here, no-one will be laughing."

Gordon frowned, "You call this justice? You've killed good men."

V nodded, "Men who would have killed me without a thought. Tell me Commissioner, you must have taken a life in the line of duty, yes?"

"Yes," Gordon answered. He remembered them all. Like he remembered everyone who had died under his command. He would not let this man get away with this. Gordon slammed his elbow into V's midsection but hit something hard, like a bulletproof vest or something similar.

Gordon gets a surprise attack on V, but only manages to bash against V's armour. Initiative is now rolled. Gordon 15, V 12.

Gordon tried to grab hold of the arm around him, but V was too fast, snapping it away before delivering a punch to Jim's lower back. The older man lurches forward with the force of the blow.

Despite Gordon rolling a 22 to hit in an attempt to start a grapple, V scored a 28. V punches Gordon, hitting successfully. Gordon failed by 4, for a Bruised condition but, luckily, isn't stunned.

Jim knew there was no way he could beat this man. He was out of his league, out of his prime, and out of options. He thought about Barbara.

Using his Assessment Feat, Gordon knows he's no match for V in a straight fight. He goes on Total Defence.

Gordon could hardly believe how fast his attacker moved, but he thought back to his training as a Green Beret. If he couldn't beat him, he would frustrate him. V lunged for Gordon, but Jim ducked out of the way.

Attempting to grapple Gordon himself, V proves unprepared for Gordon's improved defences.

Carefully, Jim shifted stance and launched a quick jab at V, which the masked man easily sidestepped.

Jim switches to his Defensive Attack Feat, taking 3 from his attack and adding it to his defence. To off-set this, he takes 1 from his damage to add to his attack with Accurate Attack. He misses with this attack, however.

In response, V rushed Gordon, who managed to duck his sweeping arms and punch V again in the stomach.

Another grapple, another failed attack roll from V. Gordon quickly retaliates with another punch, causing another Bruised condition. V is now at -2 to resisting non-lethal damage and -1 to resisting lethal. Considering Gordon isn't trying to kill him, V's not doing too well. However, one solid blow from V could finish Gordon.

With a swift and silent move, V stabbed Gordon in the side, forcing a scream from the Commissioner.

V lands a good hit, and Gordon fails his Toughness save by 9, so he takes a Bruised and Injured condition, and is stunned. V wastes no time...

Another knife appeared in V's hand and Gordon's eyes went wide. The fear is quickly replaced by the pain as the knife burns into his shoulder.

Jim takes another Stunned condition and another level each of Bruised and Injured.

With a swift punch across the face, V sent Gordon sprawling against a desk which broke under him. At the sound of people coming up the emergency stairs, V turned his attention away from the fallen Commissioner. He ripped the grill from the air vent and climbed in.

Gordon is Stunned and Staggered from the final blow, allowing V the opportunity to escape.

Gordon fumbled for his police radio, blood running from his nose and mouth. "Bullock..." he managed, "the signal...light the signal...

===============================================

V did pretty well. The police were no threat to him, really, but it was a nice test of his fighting style.

Gordon was surprisingly capable in this fight. I thought he almost had a chance of actually winning. If he hadn't dropped his gun, he could well have hurt V. Somehow I think V may be a little out of his league in Gotham, especially now that the signal's been lit...

[Beleriphon]

I'm enjoying your style of storytelling very much. This fight was uber cool, now V has to fight Batman, or perhaps we'll see Robin or Nightwing take a dive first?

[Wordmaker]

Well, I managed to leave my USB key at home when I left for work, so it'll be a few hours before I can post the next build, but I think it'll come as no surprise when I tell everyone that V has called down the thunder, and it's starting to look like rain...

Seventeen men were dead.

The glow of the large screen cast long shadows across his face as his gloved hands worked, accessing information files sent by Oracle.

The first was a balding man in his forties. Byron Patterson, head research developer for BioGen Pharmacuticals. Bio Gen was one of the fastest-growing pharmacutical developers in the country, and it was only a very slightly concealed fact that it was a subsidiary of LexCorp.

He'd been digging up dirt on BioGen for months, ever since it opened a new facility in Gotham. So far, they'd kept their noses clean. Then they assigned Patterson to be the head researcher. Shipped him out from a facility in London where he'd been doing research into anti-depressants and other forms of medication, gave him a 150% pay rise and an office with a view. That was just a week ago. Now this. Killed in a bomb blast in his lab.

Scratching his chin, he called up the files of the sixteen police officers now lying in the city morgue. He had long since given up belief in coincidence. Sixteen officers, twelve of them SWAT, pronounced dead at the scene. Two more were in a stable bur critical condition in the hospital.

Two more, and Jim.

At the press of a button the images of the police officers were replaced with a single image of a man in a Guy Falkes mask.

As soon as he'd heard the description, he knew who he was dealing with. Evidence found at the scene confirmed it. Traces of over-the-counter chemicals, a sophisticated detonation system, again built with easily obtainable components and a collection of identical knives were found throughout the building. No hairs or fingerprints, however, not that any were expected. The recovered security camera footage he was now looking at showed him the attacker.

He went by the name "V."

Headlines were made just a couple of years ago when he destroyed the Houses of Parliament in London on November 5th. He hadn't been seen since and it was generally believed that he had died in the explosion. Despite the rebuilding costs incurred and the deaths V caused both at his own hand and in the riots that followed, he did draw attention to a string of corruption that would have left even Lex Luthor impressed.

But what was he doing in Gotham?

A series of data searches brought up Scotland Yard reports on the death of Daniel Foreman, otherwise known as The White Knight. Photographs of the knives found in his body and on those of his associates also found dead showed that they were identical to the ones used by V. Several metal drums had been found, some marked as having held kerosene and some marked with a symbol he didn't recognise. It was an arrangement of what looked like four capital T's, with the end of each one pointing into the centre.

What was the connection?

Right now, his only lead was V.

V had destroyed buildings, committed murder.

V killed 16 good cops and put two more in hospital.

V nearly killed Jim.

In a fluid motion, he stood and walked away from the computer, pulling his mask over his face. The car was waiting. Its engine roared to life and it thundered away from the cave.

It was time to go to work.

[Wordmaker]

Batman



There is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me

Power Level: 11
Points: 270

STR: 18 (+4)
DEX: 18 (+4)
CON: 16 (+3)
INT: 20 (+5)
WIS: 20 (+5)
CHA: 18 (+4)

Attack: +16
Damage: +5 (batarangs), +4 (unarmed), +1 (shuriken)
Defence: +14, +6 (flat-footed)

Initiative: +8

Toughness Save: +8, +5 (flat-footed), +6 (without costume), +3 (flat-footed and without costume)
Fortitude Save: + 7
Reflex Save: +10
Willpower Save: +10

Skills:

Acrobatics 12 (+16)
Bluff 12 (+16)
Climb 9 (+12 )
Computers 5 (+10)
Craft (Chemical) 10 (+15)
Craft (Electrical) 10 (+15)
Craft (Mechanical) 10 (+15)
Diplomacy 10 (+14)
Disable Device 10 (+15)
Disguise 10 (+14)
Drive 6 (+10)
Escape Artist 8 (+12)
Gather Information 14 (+18 )
Intimidate 16 (+20)
Investigate 16 (+21)
Knowledge (Behavioural Sciences) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Business) 9 (+14)
Knowledge (Civics) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Current Events) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Life Sciences) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Physical Sciences) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Streetwise) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Tactics) 10 (+15)
Knowledge (Technology) 9 (+14)
Medicine 7 (+12)
Notice 16 (+21)
Pilot 5 (+8 )
Search 12 (+17)
Sense Motive 12 (+17)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+10)
Stealth 16 (+20)
Survival 10 (+15)
Swim 9 (+12 )

Feats:
Acrobatic Bluff, Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Contacts, Dedicated, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Distract (Intimidate), Dodge Focus 2, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 13, Favored Opponent 2 (Criminals), Fearsome Presence 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (unarmed strikes), Improved Defence 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Improved Initiative, Inspire 3, Jack of All Trades, Leadership, Master Plan, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Pin, Second Chance 4 (Investigate, Intimidate, Notice, Stealth), Seize Initiative, Sneak Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Track, Well-Informed

Powers:
None

Equipment:
binoculars, camera, commlink, Costume (Protection 2, Fearsome Presence 5), flashlight, forensics kit, gas mask, grappling line (Super-Movement 1 - Swinging), handcuffs, breaking & entering kit, medical kit, rebreather, Utility Belt (Array - Flash-Bangs (Dazzle Burst 6, visual, auditory) Alternate Powers: knives (batarangs), shuriken (bat-shaped, Autofire), smoke pellets, tear-gas pellets (Nauseate Cloud 6) cutting torch (Blast 1, Drain Toughness 1)

Batmobile: Strength 35, Speed 5, Defence 8, Toughness 9, Size Large, Alarm, Remote Control, Armour 3, Caltrops, Navigation System

Batman pays for one half of the Bat-Cave:
Bat-Cave: Size Large, Toughness 10, Communications, Computer, Concealed, Defence System, Dock, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Isolated, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop

Design Notes:

I've really been looking forward to this build! The great thing about Batman is how many different ways you can interpret him.
In this build, I focused on Batman's innate skill as a warrior and a detective. He has capped attack and defence, as well as Feats that allow him to easily push himself beyond those limits. Changing his fighting style to suit his opponent, he should be more than a match for almost any non-powered opponent, and more than a few super-powered ones.
Skills were the toughest challenge for this build. There's nearly nothing Batman hasn't experienced first-hand or through research. To reflect this, I gave him Beginner's Luck and Jack of All Trades to not only allow him to speak any language he needs and have Knowledge skills on any topic, but also to have a very competent skill bonus to them when he really needs to. Not many people can muster up a +7 bonus to a skill they have no ranks in.
That said, I wanted to give Batman very high ranks in two Knowledge Skills, Physical Sciences (for the forensics side of things) and Streetwise. Nothing goes on in Gotham without the Bat knowing!
To back up his vast array of Knowledge skills, I maxed his Investigate and gave him a generous Gather Information and Search to truly make him the world's greatest detective.
Another important skill was Stealth. I didn't max it out, because there are, amazingly, one or two people who are better than he is, but with his Notice, odds are they're not quite good enough to get past him unless they've had extensive training. I considered making things like Computer and Sense Motive higher, but Baman's nowhere near the hacker that Barbara is, and there are definitely times when he misses something about a person's behaviour.
Equipment-wise, I made a conscious decision not to give him Gadgets. I wanted to focus on the more modern Batman, who uses mostly mundane equipment in extraordinary ways. A Hero Point to grab an extra rank of Equipment can get him out of a fix, and his Inventor Feat is just the ticket for when he has to come up with a counter-agent for Joker venom or a suit to resist Mr. Freeze's ice gun. I would definitely allow him to trade in the Batmobile for a Batcycle, Batjet or Batboat should the situation call for it. Another decision I made was to have Batman and Robin split the cost of the Batcave, since they use it most often.

I'm quite happy with this build. It can probably use some tweaking, but I hope it'll stand up to a few fights.

Edit: Updated again. This one's pretty major. Batman is now PL 11 and has Sneak Attack and Favored Opponent. This means his damage cap is now up by 2. Against criminals and when he Sneak Attacks, Batman hits these caps easily, becoming a true terror on the streets of Gotham. The main reason I did this is to give Batman some more "oomph" for some more high-powered fights.

[BARON]

defensively he's a PL9. Offensively he's a PL8. I thought about giving him Beginner's Luck; but there's something about him... he's THE "achievement through hard work" icon. There's nothing beginner about him. Robin? Yeah. Robin's a 10 year old who can kick your ass. Batman doesn't don his mask until he's 25.

[Wordmaker]

For the sake of concept, I wouldn't think of Beginner's Luck actually meaning "beginner's luck," more like "Extensive Training." I did consider the Eidetic Memory Feat, which would have done mostly the same thing along with a +4 bonus to remembering things, but it wouldn't have allowed for Batman's mastery of languages, and I wasn't sure where I could squeeze the points from for Languages.

I do think Batman should have capped Attack and Defence. There really aren't that many people who can take him in a fight. All of his major defeats have been due to someone outwitting him (The Joker), having a power or device that can take him down (Scarecrow, Poison Ivy), or take advantage of a temporary weakness (Bane). Traditionally, the one person he has never been able to defeat in single combat is Lady Shiva.

Plus, he's mentioned as one of the 30 top martial artists in the DC Universe, the ones on the disk Prometheus uses to gain his fighting skills.

I would say Lady Shiva and Richard Dragon are among the few in DC who have superior raw fighting talent to Batman, and in statting them, I would trade off their damage for boosted Attack.

[SpiderFan!]

I love your Batman, Just one question, where is the hide in plain sight? I usually think of bats as a shadow player. One who whirls in and out of the night like he is one with it. Just curious why you didnt give him that.