The Last Daredevil asks for your help

[DataPacRat]

Through the superhero grapevine, or whatever other means is applicable, your character receives a video...

 

Dressed in all-covering black, accessorized by a harness rigged with field emitters, is Impulse, a gadgeteer telekinetic. She's from the minor-league team, the Niagara Daredevils, which started out as a club of adventurers well before it became fashionable to run around in costumes. (Any psychics or super-detectives who might have previously taken an interest will probably have been able to figure out that she's really a he who takes the secret identity thing /very/ seriously.)

 

"If you're watching this, then, hopefully, you're one of the trustworthy few who might be able to help me."

 

"All the other active Daredevils have just been arrested for abusing their border-crossing privileges to smuggle drugs. From the evidence I've seen so far, they're not likely going to be able to come back on duty for a long time, if ever... which leaves me in a pickle."

 

"There's only a hundred thousand and change people in the twin cities of Niagara Falls - but we get a couple of /million/ tourists annually, and we pretty much watch over Buffalo, too. Over the years, we've had techno-villains and aliens attack the power plants, water and air mystics come to fiddle with the powers of the elements, would-be mind-controllers come to seize control of the population, organized crime that arrived when the casinos did, honeymooning supervillains, plus the usual street-level crime, fires, border incidents, and so on and so forth."

 

"All the Daredevils' funds have either been seized by the American or Canadian authorities, or frozen, or been dedicated to legal defense... which leaves me without a budget for running a team. Or even keeping up the security on the vaults of the stuff that have been collected over the past century. I've had a few offers of below-the-table help, which I appreciate, but right now I'm only avoiding getting arrested as an accessory by a thread, so I need to keep everything as squeaky-clean and aboveboard as I can."

 

"I've gotten an offer from the local tourism group for enough funding to keep the Daredevils' accounts ticking over, at least... if I can put together a group that's public and flashy enough to help bring in tourists to gawk at us. I do have some local reserves I can call - but, um, let's just say that there's usually a pretty good reason they're held in reserve."

 

"So. That's where /I/ stand. Where you come in... is anywhere you can, really. If you want to simply come and join the Daredevils on a permanent basis - great! If not, there's still lots of possibilities. I could use a few experienced hands to come by for just a couple of weeks to help transition. I could use some people to help train the reserves or any other newbies who want to sign up. I could use some over-the-table funding. I could use some juice with the Canadian or American authorities to keep the team's privileges, like being able to fly around as needed. If worst comes to worst, I could use someone trustworthy and somewhere secure to ship the contents of our vault to."

 

"If nothing else, if you can't help with anything like any of that - I could use having this video passed along to anyone you trust who might be able to help."

 

"Thank you, and good night."

[Cygnia]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

For most of my characters, they'd first try to verify Impulse's story through independent sources, see if this was a set-up or if the team did in fact "go rogue". If this does look like it was a set-up, who stands to benefit? What's happening in that region that might be made vulnerable with the sudden lack of heroes or heroes that can no longer be trusted?

 

On the Canadian side of the border, Iceberg is retired, but has enough sources in both the Mounties and the Canadian military to check matters out. Being a former Army officer, he is more than willing to help train new heroes out and offer a little "legitimate name" while the Daredevils regroup.

 

In the US, Prospero is more of a "work in the shadows" sort. That being said, he has sympathy and will assist in training new heroes as well. He also has a better idea in thinking "outside the box" when it comes to powers that may not be impressive at first glance. Still, he'd try to keep his name out of the press and concentrate on finding out if this was a set-up. Fortunately, in his secret ID, he can also help with (legally) funding the budget if need be.

[FrankL]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Garret would use his military contacts to confirm the story. If it was above board, he would pass the video on to those he has trained and now have their own teams. He won't join the Daredevils (he is *not* flashy), but he will spend some time there training any new recruits. He's good at that.

[DataPacRat]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Looking for confirmation reveals that the Daredevils have had a noted tendency to act as adrenaline junkies - for a number of years, the main qualification for joining was being able to go over the Falls - but they man up to do the right thing whenever push comes to shove. (Though they /were/ implicated as the cause of both of the major eastern seaboard blackouts...) The arrests came after what looks to be a pretty thorough investigation by a binational, multi-police task force, and the evidence against the arrested Daredevils looks pretty solid, though the ones who aren't exercising their right to silence are claiming innocence.

 

As for what's happening in the region that might be more vulnerable or related to a set-up - there are plenty of conventions filling up the hotels; the official, technological Daredevils HQ (in the old power plant designed by Nikola Tesla) is currently empty; the more sedate Daredevils clubhouse, trophy room, vault, dating from olden times doesn't have its usual defenders; their practice ground on Navy Island, a bit upstream from the Falls, is being gone over with a fine-tooth comb by various police forces; CSICOP, a paranormal research group, has just lost some of its usual test subjects from the arrests; the power armor used by The Barrel is currently impounded. Those who have less official means of investigation might learn of the secret tribe of beaver-folk (descended from a group of Neutral Indians who used magic to escape their extinction in 1650); or that Impulse's "reserves" are mainly either gray-haired ex-Daredevils (who tend to fall in the mold of Rudyard Kipling) or the inhabitants of "Mrs. Friesen's Boarding House". These latter include such figures as "Mr. Grape", a minor plant elemental; a lady who transforms into a dolphin-like mermaid (and works at the local Marineland amusement park); a cow-woman and badger-man; and similar folk who barely register a blip on any power-scale.

[hfergus]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Volt - after vetting mundanely, he'd help out where he can - and help to find out the truth.

 

Olorin - After vetting (mundane & mystic) he'll offer to help fiscally at first. He is actually rich. The condition would be all mystic items they have that can be safely moved and are free and clear are now his. (up to what he considers the "value" of his help.) He'll help out in high need and maybe help train. He'd try to investigate the truth.

 

Black Tiger - detective. Would only investiagte to find out truth and investigate. Heroing help would be on an emergency basis only.

 

Leadman - detective. Would investagte as per Black Tiger. Might help out upon occasion.

 

Futurian - "Whoaaa! Fragic. You want me to help? Man, you are desparate. Ok. When I think about it." Which means... a bit immediatey, and not again unless reminded. A lot.

[Pizza Man]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Black Falcon would fly up right away but only for the few weeks requested. Seh would patrol and work the rounds requested but quietly investigate the possible set up of the Daredevils.

 

Psidestep could help man the patrols, the investigations and with the funding by summoning gems and jewels from other dimensions. He would also begin a quiet investigation. He is very picturesque with his flying car and Dog Soldiers, so he could help with the tourists as well.

 

Shade is a Scientist. He would arrange to go up with other heroes, and help out as best he can. On his own he is a poor detective, and wouldn't even think to verify the story first.

[Hermit]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Both of my characters are , at this time, too busy to leave their respective teams, but if that changed... Aquatic might , after using contacts to check on the story, come by to help for at least a bit. He'd probably use vacation time to do it

[SatinKitty]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Firestorm is a B Movie Actress and would be able to lend a hand as well as put on fireworks displays for the Tourists.

 

Wicca would be able to put on magic shows. She also has Retrocognition in her arsenal so she would be able to look beneath the surface appearances and find out what's really going on.

[SKJAM!]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

The character with the most individual reaction would be Talion. He'd presume this communication was meant for someone else, as his presence in the area would only make things worse. Talion might pass on the message to someone he considers more competent to deal with it, or investigate to see if the poor Daredevil was under mind control or something if it's made clear they're actually asking for him.

[Badger]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Badger- (note: have to think on it) Not flashy per se. (has a move or 2 that might be "fancy" but otherwise not. And he isnt exactly one to be cooperative with the media at all. More than likely just pass it on.

 

Frosty Bob- would go, depending on his mood. (if a good fight looks likely). Though he might be considered to be a lot like one of those loose cannon "reserves".

[Drhoz]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Vitus would politely explain to the poor deluded young woman that if the Daredevils are trying to avoid scandal, then enlisting Vitus would be the last thing they would want to do. Just ask the other members of the Skeleton Crew - some of Vitus's exploits became viral videos. He'd explain this politely, because you have to be kind to the harmlessly demented.

 

On the other hand, if they have any mystic goods they don't mind having taken apart with a fine tooth comb, Vitus would be happy to take them off their hands...

Zero/Truman Golightly would probably be happy to go along with it, but isn't sure he'd like the climate, being from SoCal and all that. He does have plenty of well-secured warehouse space though, currently housing the Edge superteam, and most of his collection of 50s memorabilia.

 

ROVER would be confused unless the area has a good number of hits on the Wanted Criminals databases in which case he'd happily assist and methodically set out to locate and arrest them all, on the off chance one of them is the person that killed his creator. There's minimal risk of scandal with ROVER, he's a machine, if a rather naive one.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: The Last Daredevil asks for your help

 

Blackcat would go and help in transition, and train in tactics and combat the new recruits.

 

Ballistic after doing some checking would help some financially

 

Meeb would go for the fun of it, and to go over the falls. Repeatedly. For the tourists.

Terminal Velocity might go, but is busy with his own team. however he is a speedster, so being on two teams isn't all that unusual.

 

Sift would like to help out, when things calm down. She just accidentally activated the artifact that will allow the kings of Edom to escape, so she is busy straightening that out.