Amorkca

Standing in the entry to his bedroom, Jason's eyes traveled over Angelique's body. The shirt he had put on her was draped across the foot of his bed. Angelique lay face down. Her arms were tucked under a pillow. Her spread legs were clad in white nylon. Stockings she had not worn earlier in the car. One foot was pointed at him.
 
Entering quietly, his fingers drew a line up the back of her leg. Angelique buried her head in the pillow. Even then Jason heard the low moan. His fingers followed her curves. Tracing her spine, Angelique turned her head when he reached her neck. A blue eye peeked out from under her golden hair. Jason brushed it back to find a wide smile. “Hi. I was wondering when you would get here.”
 
“Hi, yourself,” he said taking a seat on the bed. “How are you feeling?”
 
“Like I had a wonderful time in the back of a limo,” she said, rolling on her side. “If I start thinking too much on the who, I end up with a pounding headache. Did you bring me a present?”
 
Nodding, Jason said, “I did. It is downstairs on the table."
 
“My hero,” she teased. “Help me up.” She held out her hand for Jason to take. He stood and helped her off the bed. “Let's go take a look.”
 
“I'll make lunch. I've seen enough of him for one day.” Jason led the way. Downstairs he went into his kitchen and started rummaging in the refrigerator.
 
“Did the case hold?”
 
From bent over, head in the fridge, Jason said, “Held fine. I carted it back instead of stashing it.” He heard the cloth slide off the container.
 
“Boris!”
 
“His name is Boris?” Jason asked, standing up and turning around. Only to find Angelique was gone. “Well, that's one way to skip out on a lunch date.”

Jason sat back in the limo. His gaze traveled Angelique's recumbent form. She slept the sleep of the magically induced kind. Hopefully for the last time.
 
It had taken him over a month to plan. Charley finally agreed to talk to Angel for him.
 
“Why should I?”
 
“Because you broke my kitchen.”
 
“I was sick.”
 
“And I took care of you. If it helps, I'll bribe you with clothes.”
 
“What kind of clothes?”
 
“What kind of clothes do you want?”
 
“Girl clothes.”
 
“Done.”
 
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to get clothes in my size?”
 
Jason smiled. “I know a guy.”
 
He took Angel and Charley to lunch, along with Al. Angel required the same bribe as Charley once she found out about it. There were parts of the plan Jason didn't like. Al didn't much care for it, either. Angelique agreed. Even knowing the effect the magic would have on her, she agreed. In the hopes that it would go away.
 
Jason reached down. His hand glowing crimson, he clothed her in one of his t-shirts. Sitting back he pressed the button that lowered the divider.
 
“We've already separated,” Al said. “The tug is just about at range.”
 
“Good,” Jason replied.
 
“The pilot thinks you're crazy.”
 
Jason chuckled. “I'm rich. The correct term is eccentric. Bladders ready?”
 
Nodding, Al said, “It'll be sad to see this old girl go.”
 
“He won't be gentle with it,” Jason said. “It was due to be rotated out. That was why I picked it.”
 
“I know. All that extra work though.”
 
“Was about a quarter the cost of what deep water salvage would be.”
 
The radio squawked. “We're at the limit.”
 
“Copy,” Al said into the radio. Turning back to the rear, he said, “Show time.”
 
“Take her to the loft and put her to bed. With any luck I'll be back there before she wakes up.” Jason changed. Pulsar released the door. “Why did you agree with this, Al?”
 
Al shrugged. “She agreed with it and the dragon likes her.”
 
“One day I think I'd like to meet your dragon,” Pulsar said.
 
“No, sir. I don't think you would.”
 
Pulsar stepped from the car and closed the door. The deck of the barge he was on had been painted with the Key of Solomon. That was overlaid with a thick plastic coating. It had taken Ash over a dozen hits in one spot to crack it. The cost of the limo was at the low end of this project's costs.
 
“Why are you doing this?”
 
“I enjoyed your company. If this goes well, I hope to enjoy more of it,” Jason explained.
 
There was one open spot in the plastic cover over the outer ring of the Key. Pulsar moved to it, appearing a sharp blade. He knelt over the hole and waited. After a few moments smoke came through a cracked window. Al's signal that he and Angel were gone.
 
Al said the dragon was capable of masking Angel's departure. Making it seem as if she had left on her own. The same as she had the day Jason tangled with Scruffy.
 
After a few minutes, the limo sank lower on its shocks. The roof bulged outward. Side glass shattered. Reddish-orange fur covered the forearm. Steel tearing, the roof peeled open.
 
“You...!”
 
“Reek of her. Yes, I know. We had this conversation already,” Pulsar said. He sliced his hand open with the blade and squeezed out blood. Blood that found its way to the Key and activated it. “Ready for round two, Scruffy?” The blade disappeared.
 
Scruffy broke the limo in half. He picked up the rear and threw it. Pulsar flew out of the way. “Swing and a miss.” Scruffy roared. “I see you're still one fang short. Do the other demons make fun of you for that and not let you play in any demon games with them.”

[with absolute terror, from the Player, OOC]: Do NOT put me in the comfy chair!
 
 
So, after months of hiatus, thanks to vaccines and our tendency to play outdoors at the picnic table-- well, several tables, what with social distancing, etc-- and good mask etiquette, the youth group has finally met again.  In an absolute _marathon_ session Sunday (from eleven AM to nearly eight PM), the concluded the current adventure (the GM helped a bit by opting to not play a few red herrings and completely dropping an additional subplot-- Lord, these kids have waited a long, _long_ time for this, you know?  Just didn't seem right to _not_ let them finish when they declared "Mr. Duke, I have permission to stay until ten o'clock if I have to!  We are going to finish this!"  Yes: it's calling a senior by their first name, but with a 'Mr." in front of it.  For those you who are not from this south, this is _extreme_ courtesy, as it shows both respect and appreciative familiarity.  "Mr. Oliver" would be that teacher they absolutely hate.     )
 
I don't usually like to fill this particular thread with this, but a very brief recap, given how many months have passed (and welcome to Year 2 of "14 days to flatten the curve," folks):
 
over the nineteen (counting Sunday as only 2, because there was a lot of excited side-banter going on) sessions of this story arc, the Characters have learned Salamander of Strike 2 (formerly "the Redeemed, until some official publication took that name) has been being targeted by kidnappers and assassins.  Tree has been attacked by spider bots that have been boring into him for core samples.  Eventually the heroes figure out the bots are after samples of the fluids that course through the gigantic (as in a hundred feet tall and several city blocks of canopy) tree that is all that remains of the once might superhero).  Following the trail of siperbots leads to the storm drains and to the depths of Lake Campaign itself.  Feral, with the help of Fish Guy, aquatic "hero" from two cities down the coast (see, Hermit?  I told you we had a Fish Guy.     He was originally one of Jim's (my first GM) throw-away experimental NPCs, but Players seem to enjoy him and his absent-minded schtick.  Just for you:  Pictures:
 
In "normal" form:

 
 
 
With Fish Guy powers activated:
 
 

 
 
That's right: he becomes somehow _more_ boring with his powers activated.   
 
 
Anyway, the find a self-destructed underwater base in the depths of Lake Campaign, along with a self-destructed submarine that looks very familiar.  With the help of Red Cloak, they raise and beach the sub.  Combing the sub for clues (and snacks.  Fish guy is all about the canned goods! ), the realize this is an identical ship to the flying sub commanded 20 years ago by Master Mind, the villain who waged the war commemorated annually as Seven Day to remember the nearly 100 supers-- heroes and villains-- who gave their lives to save the city.  Master Mind was never captured, and is presumed to have died when the sub exploded.
 
After a few days gathering evidence, it appears that not only did he survive, but he was in fact the CEO of a major tech corporation back during his criminal career.  Hmm....  Now to find him and see what he wants with Tree, and if it's related to the attacks against Salamander....
 
 
By session 4, they are all holed up in a bunker under Daniels Industries, trying to figure out how to keep Salamander and his wife safe from a pair of invisible assailants when Kinetica sees herself hiding behind some crates.  When she goes to chase the impostor, she is forced to phase through a wall that blocked out a disused corridor, leading to a lab.  With help from Feral and Magnus, the wall is destroyed and the lab contains a machine that is projecting a portal with the impostor on the other side.  "Get her!" The entire team leaps through the portal, only to discover that it is in fact a portal through time.  The earth is in ruins, and Kinetica 2 explains that she was only going through the portal to destroy the darkon generator (one of the invisible assassins in visible in darkon fields) before it's runaway accident).  The team leaps back through the portal (after a fight with the mechanical servants of the Dark Lord (you know: the one with the cardboard helmet   ) and destroy the generator (that they had suggested in the first place) even as Box announced "there is an anomaly in the power core," saving the future, but leaving themselves vulnerable.
 
They can't figure out why anyone would want to kidnap or kill a third-rate villain who had fully reformed into a second-rate hero until Salamander's wife says "I might have some idea."  She then proceeds to walk behind her husband as he studies an announcement on the wall-mounted monitor and shoots him in the head, killing him instantly.  Everyone is shocked, sickened, and diving for her to get the gun out of her hand.  She begs and pleads for them to burn him, but of course, they do not.  However, his will stipulates that he is to be cremated, and low and behold, when the kiln is opened, there lays a completely unhurt (and very naked) Salamander!  It takes him a few days to get all of his memories back, but he is as good as new!
 
Across a few more sessions, they piece together that the gymnasium responsible for the creation of Boneyard (previous adventure) is somehow tied to all the clones that are running around.  Eventually, the learn that these are clones of Lucas Quinn, founder and CEO of Quintech, and the man that they believe to have been MasterMind!  Why all the clones?  And why do they randomly melt?
 
A couple more sessions, and it's starting to look like rich old Mr. Johnson, out on the peninsula-- the one who has the nasty habit of returning orphans-- might actually _be_ Lucas Quinn!  How to be sure?  All of his staff and his niece and nephew all say he has been in that wheelchair since a tragic skiing accident twenty-five years ago!  Finally, they are able to interview his former valet, who says he quit because he just couldn't stand Johnson and his obsession with finding the perfect heir (and because he was a jerk), and he tells them "He was in that chair long before I met him.  I just always figured he was in some kind of a horrible accident, given the severity of the burn scars.  Heck, his feet are burned completely off!"
 
Just before we ended the last session, Johnson's butler had called the police, frantic: a supervillain had killed Mr. Johnson!
 
Sunday, the heroes are quick to investigate: Johnson has been found frozen in a block of ice!  Magnus uses some of his unusual Detects and confirms that Johnson is dead: no heartbeat; no neural activity.  Later, the coroner confirms that the freezing and formation of ice crystals have ruptured almost every cell in his body.  The man is dead.  Immediately, the police liaison (I mentioned I had one player who wasn't comfortable being a superhero, right?) is helping to guide the heroes through a forensic investigation of the house and ends up in the study.  The study (where he was found, in his wheelchair, next to his desk, reading a book) contains the desk, two straight-back chairs in front of the desk, some antique audio equipment (reel-to-reel tapes and four-pound headphones) and a comfy chair.  Perhaps it was the way I said it; perhaps it was Players doing that thing they do, but everyone was instantly suspicious of the Comfy Chair.  Too big?  Too overstuffed?  Too incongruous to the rest of the decor?  Or just so suspiciously comfy....?  Right away, Magnus is pressed into using his Detects to examine the chair without touching it.  Why, there are electronic components and electrical gizmos present in that chair!
 
"Yes, Sir.  It's a massage chair.  Mr. Johnson would sit here for hours, listening to his music and his books.  He collected old open-reel audio.  He shared this passion with his adopted son, and would often request that I mail him one of the reels as soon as he finished.  His son is at boarding school.  He adopted a young child some years ago.  He will be sixteen in a few days.  Is there any other question I can answer?  I must call his son and his attorney..."
 
More investigation (painfully slow and _hilarious_ at times-- always with sinister eyes toward the Comfy Chair.....   "I very-- _very_ carefully touch the chair?  What happens?"  Nothing.  "I touch it here!  Okay, here!  How about here?  Magnus!  You're nigh invulnerable!  _You_ touch it!  Red Cloak!  Examine it magically!"   Nothing.  "Okay, fine.  Who's the biggest tank?  You sit in it!  Okay, what happens...?"  There is a low and ominous hum... Suddenly, the chair begins to vibrate! The nervous knots in between your shoulders begin to _melt_ away, and the stress of the day is slowly draining out through your fingertips.....  "I jump up!  There's a trap here; I know it!"
 
"Okay; we'll come back to the chair.  I want to listen to one of those tapes."  You call for the butler, who doesn't really know how these antiques work, but he calls for the current valet, how cues up a tape and hands you the headphones.  "Okay, I put them on and ask him to play the tape."
 
Make a CON check.  "What?!"
 
Make a CON check.  "I'm not in the chair!"  I know that.  Make a CON check.  "I never even _touched_ the chair!"  I know that, too.  Make a CON check.  [Dice roll-- badly....]   "Seventeen."   
 
You become instantly dizzy-- nauseously dizzy.  The room spins until the floor is at such an angle that you can stand on it!  You slide off it to the side and roll onto the floor, grasping at the carpet to keep from sliding any further....
 
"Wow.  He looks _bad_.  What happened?"  "It doesn't matter!  Feral, help me get him off the floor--
 
"Do _NOT_ put me in the Comfy Chair!"
 
 
    
 
For anyone wondering what sinister secret the comfy chair held:
 
It was solar powered by panels above the bay window, and activated when the seat detected more than sixty pounds of pressure.
 
 
 
I love Players so very, _very_ much....
 

 
 
 
 

Clean up. Every time Arcane got a lead on Devilbone it seems it always came just in time for the clean up work. In his irritation his suit coat seemed binding. Crime Scene was already working the site. Gurneys lined the hall making him thinking it was too much like a factory assembly line. “Corpses to go,” he said to himself.
 
“This floor is closed,” a uniformed officer said when he approached.
 
“Quite alright. Who is in charge of the investigation?” Arcane asked.
 
“That would be me,” an investigator wearing a black pocketed vest said. He lowered the camera he had been using. His dark hair was close-cropped. “Coleman” was stitched on the breast of the vest. “How can I help you?”
 
“Vested interest in the perpetrator, actually. I was hoping my assistant and I could help you. This is Miss Bouchard. My card.” He held out a business card. Coleman took it and read it. Two simple lines; Stephen Langford, Arcane Investigations. “I believe the perpetrator is an individual who identifies as Devilbone.”
 
“Arcane investigations? Are you some kind of crackpot?” Coleman asked. “There's no number on this card.”
 
“Well, I'm not listed in the telephone book, but the means of contacting me in the future, if such need ever arises, will be manifest on the card. I do not intend to interfere with your investigation, but I would like to collaborate, if I may.” He saw a spark in Coleman's eyes.
 
“Stay in the doorway. Tell me what you think from here.”
 
“I can set up in the hallway,” Angel said. “I don't need to be in the room itself.” She pulled a square tarp from her bag and spread it out. Two feet to a side and pre-marked with a circle, she smoothed the folds. Slipping off her shoes, she sat lotus fashion in the middle of the circle. Pulling four barrel candles from the bag, Angel set those in the corners.
 
A metal platter came out of the bag. Angel placed that in front of her. “Need help lighting the candles,” an officer asked. Angel quirked up a smile. Simultaneously, all four candles lit with a violet flame. “Jesus!” the officer exclaimed. Angel began chanting quietly.
 
Arcane cast his gaze over the room. The bed had been pulled away from the wall. On it lay a young woman wearing only white hose, a garter belt, and a single high-heeled pump. Her belly had been ripped open.
 
Laying on the floor beside the bed was a man. Shirt and waistcoat had been torn open. His pants were around his ankles. Sunken eyes stared at the ceiling. Where visible his body appeared emaciated.
 
Twelve bodies circled the bed. Six male and six female. All nude. Outside of the circle two chairs faced the bed. A man sat in one. His pants were around his ankles. An older woman knelt on the floor with her head in his lap. Her slacks and underwear were pulled down to her knees.
 
The other chair was empty.
 
“So, Mr. Arcane Investigations, what do you make of it?” Coleman asked.
 
“A ritual.”
 
Coleman's eyes narrowed. “A ritual killing?”
 
“A ritual,” Arcane said, stepping aside and indicating Angel behind him. “The pile of tuxedos and dresses indicated a wedding party. The woman on the bed is the bride. One of these men is the groom. My suspicion is the man in the chair.”
 
“Why him?”
 
“What you are seeing is the aftermath of an orgy. The empty chair would be the facilitator. The chair opposite would be the denied. Sexual arousal without release. Judging by the condition of the bodies, I would say they were at it for at least two days.”
 
“Christ!” Coleman said. A giant violet eye regarded him from the hallway. Angel made a throwing gesture. The eye moved towards the room, rippled, and vanished. “What was that?”
 
“Angel's version of a drone. When she is done she may have more information for us. Sixteen bodies?”
 
“Seventeen. There's another woman in the bathroom. What can you tell me about this Devilbone?”
 
“Not too long ago he attempted a summoning. A girl was horribly injured.”
 
“Just injured?”
 
“There was a backlash in the ritual. Several of the participants were injured. The girl was just the worst of the lot. It took a Guardian to heal her.”
 
Coleman whistled. “The Guardians are involved?”
 
“I believe Pulsar would very much like to get his hands on Devilbone and repay the pain in kind.”
 
* * * * *
Angel let out a sigh. With the wave of a hand, she extinguished the candles. She moved the platter and stretched her legs out, leaning back against the wall. Fumbling in her bag, she pulled out a drinking bottle. Pulling up the stopper she drank.
 
“Are you alright?” Arcane asked.
 
Pushing the stopper down and replacing the bottle in her bag, Angel said, “Still getting used to being one of the good guys.”
 
“But why an orgy?” Coleman asked.
 
“Desire, anticipation, the act, release, all generate energy. I would say that having six couples would generate quite a bit of energy,” Arcane explained. “Angel, what did you see?”
 
“Do you want to have this conversation in the hall?”
 
Coleman looked at the techs in the room and the officers in the hall. “Ten minutes everyone. Clear the room. Get some coffee or something.”
 
Arcane helped Angel to her feet. She stepped into her shoes. “Would you be a dear and put my things back in my bag?” she asked an officer.
 
“Yes, ma'am,” he said with a smile.
 
When everyone had gone on their break and Angel entered the room, Coleman closed the door. “I'm not saying I'm a believer, but what can you tell me?”
 
“I tracked them back to the lobby. Three days ago. The woman in the bathroom, her name is Gayle Lockwood. She has a kerchief tied around her left wrist.” Coleman raised a brow at that. “That was the catalyst. She had an argument with her husband moments before Devilbone made his move.”
 
“Not unsurprising,” Arcane said. “Women that are feeling neglected are often his targets. Then he introduces them to teenage boys.”
 
“On their way to a room, the pair ran into our newlyweds here. The bride is on the bed. The groom is sitting in the chair. When they got into the couples' room, Mrs. Lockwood was set loose on the bride. Devilbone got her to admit she was a virgin before they got in here.”
 
“Virgin sacrifice?” Coleman asked.
 
“More a sacrifice of her virginity. I'm sure you will end up finding phones in the piles of clothes. The rest of the bridal party were sent texts to come up. Once they came in, the were caught up in the workings, stripped, and copulated with whoever wasn't occupied.”
 
“Is this for real?”
 
“Your medical examiner will be able to tell you which of these individuals enjoyed which of the others, I'm sure,” Arcane said.
 
“Pretty much all of them except our friend in the chair, I'm afraid,” Angel said. “He only enjoyed his mother-in-law's oral ministrations at the end. While she was tormenting him others had their use of her.”
 
“What about the bride?”
 
Angel hung her head and stretched her neck, rolling it back and forth. “The bridesmaids dealt with the bride. At least until the conclusion. The individual laying on the floor still wearing his shirt is Damon Woolridge. Or was.”
 
“I've come across that name before. A low ranking caster,” Arcane said.
 
“Who happened to come into possession of the devil bone. Which is not here. Woolridge was tricked. His last reward was the bride's virginity. The culmination resulted in the release of the built up energy, focused into the girl's womb. Which also sucked the life energies out of everyone except the newly expecting mother. A pregnancy which lasted about an hour before Ratash tore his way out.”
 
“Rah-tash?” Coleman questioned, shaking his head.
 
“Rat-ash,” Angel corrected. “A fomentor of chaos and mayhem. You will probably hear reports before too long of events that might seem random.”
 
There was a tap at the door. “Come in,” Coleman said. “Back to work,” he ordered when the door was opened. “What now?”
 
“Now, you finish up your crime scene. We begin to track down a demon with a bone to pick,” Arcane said.

OK all the villains are colored in, I've uploaded the latest version of the villain and character books to the Champions Begins rough draft. All I need to do now is work up the VIPER suit.  The current incarnation looks a bit too much like very slightly modified COBRA outfits, and I think that strays a bit from the original concept.  From supervillain team to high tech action adventure bad guys.
 
I ran down some old VIPER costumes and previous incarnations in this thread, and most people seem to like a blend between 4th and 5th, and I want to come up with something really iconic and new looking that gives the feel of the original costume.  I got excessively detailed with the Dr Destroyer agents in that module, it would drive a comic book artist bonkers trying to draw 22 pages of these guys.

Gayle Lockwood was left in tears, watching as her husband retreated once again into the casino's gaming tables. This was not the vacation that she had envisioned or agreed to when her husband approached her with the idea. She was at a loss as to what to do.
 
“Beautiful women should only cry tears of happiness,” a man said. His voice carried a hint of warmth and traces of a European accent. Gayle glanced at him. There were lines around his dark eyes. His dark hair hung full and loose to his shoulders. He was clean shaven with a light tan. He wore a dark plum silk shirt, a dark navy waistcoat, with a dark red tie. A gold chain crossed the waistcoat and dipped into a pocket. He was handsome, Gayle decided.
 
Gray gloved fingers wrapped around what appeared to be an old, ivory walking stick. The head was carved with figures. With tears in her eyes, they seemed to shift and move. He held out a pocket square to her. “Dry your eyes, dear lady, and tell me what it is that troubles you so.”
 
Gayle accepted the cloth and dabbed at her eyes. “This is supposed to be a vacation to celebrate our anniversary,” she said. “Only my husband, instead of spending time together, is off wagering our savings away.”
 
“I see. Never one to leave a damsel in distress, I happen to have tickets to a show. The woman I was to escort has chosen not to attend. Perhaps I could convince you to attend with me?”
 
“A show?” Her eyes brightened. “I would love to see a show! I should change first. Do I have time?”
 
The man pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time. “You have little more than an hour to prepare yourself.”
 
“I don't even know your name.”
 
“Nor do I know yours. You may call me Damon.”
 
“I'm Gayle. Gayle...”
 
He raised his hand and cut her off. “First names only for now. Yes?” She nodded. “Your chambers are in this casino?”
 
“Yes,” she said with a smile.
 
“Then I shall await your return in the bar. One hour, Gayle.” He leaned close. “Impress me,” he whispered.

“I understand you are to be escorting Marlene this evening.”
 
Slipping a cuff link into the cuff of his shirt sleeve, Jason said, “You understand correctly.”
 
“If I am not mistaken, this will be the fourth event to which you have escorted her.”
 
Jason smiled. “I'm not keeping score, Mentor, but your count seems about right.” He tightened up his tie, lighter blue contrasting against the darker blue of his shirt.
 
“Then, perhaps sir, a visit to the vault might be in order.”
 
“Why?”
 
“I am not at liberty to say.”
 
That brought Jason up short. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Mentor, tell me why I need to visit the vault.”
 
Mentor was uncharacteristically quiet for a long moment. “I am sorry, Jason. I cannot say why.”
 
“The training wheels came off when I turned eighteen, Mentor. There were only two people that could give you an order that I could not override after that.”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
Jason stared at his own reflection. He pulled on his suit coat. A tie-tack that matched his cuff links held his tie in place. “Which one was it?”
 
“Your mother.”
* * * * *
He descended the stairs slowly, lost in thought. His mother had died while he had been in high school. There had been a few mandates that Jason had come across that his mother had put into place. To find one now, this long since her passing, shocked him.
 
“Why Marlene?”
 
“I cannot say.”
 
Reaching the bottom of the stairs he cast his gaze over pieces of his family's history. It wasn't dusty, the cleaners his dad had created kept dust, cobwebs, spiders, and the random mouse or rat at bay. He made his way to a stack of crates. A light push moved them out of the way, rolling on hidden casters.
 
He held his hands palms forward, slightly away from his body, at his waist. “Open sesame.”
 
“Biometrics are active,” Mentor said.
 
“Open the damned vault or I'm going to be late.”
 
A section of wall sunk in and then split. Each part rolled back behind the wall. “Dad and his secret rooms.” The keypad lit up. A sequence of numbers ran across the display. Rods pulled back silently. There was a solid thunk when the door seal broke. “Okay. So what am I looking for?” Jason asked stepping within.
 
Inside the vault only one light was on. Jason watched as door opened on a security box. His eyes darted to a display that showed the box number and expected contents. Jewelry. Stepping to the box, he put his hand on the handle of the inner box. His thumb pressed against the print reader. The box released when he pulled.
 
The box he placed on a central table. Lifting the lid, inside he found a large square envelope with his name on it. Jason reached inside for it. Underneath was a jewelry box meant for holding necklaces.
 
He opened the envelope and found a second envelop with Marlene's name on it along with a note in his mother's handwriting.
 
Jason,
If you are serious, this case is to go to Marlene.
Mom
“I think I am,” he said to himself. Lifting the case free, he opened it. Jason smiled at the contents. The lid snapped closed.
 
* * * * *
“She isn't ready yet,” Beth said when she let Jason in. He glanced at his watch. “I know. She's back here,” she said, leading the way towards the bedroom. Jason started whistling walking behind Beth. Beth stopped and turned to look at Jason when she realized he was whistling The Lady in Red. “Not likely. Or maybe, since I don't have a date. Just don't get any other ideas.” Jason chuckled.
 
“It's a good color on you.”
 
“Thanks,” she said pushing the bedroom door open. Marlene was sitting at a vanity scanning a drawer in her jewelry armoire. She wore a light blue evening dress that would hang just below her knees. High-heeled sandals were on her feet.
 
“Hi! Almost ready. I can't quite decide what jewelry to wear,” she said, smiling at him.
 
“Maybe Beth and I can help.”
 
Beth snorted. “Good luck with that. I've been trying for the last hour. We're going to be late.”
 
“Trust me?”
 
“Completely,” Marlene answered. Jason slid the drawer back into place. He closed the doors to the armoire. Marlene gave him a questioning look.
 
“Turn to the vanity and close your eyes.” Marlene complied with a giggle. She heard a box snap open. “Hold this, please,” he said to Beth.
 
“Are these real?” Beth asked.
 
Jason gave Beth a questioning look. He bent over to whisper in Marlene's ear. “Do I get the pleasure of taking your hair down later?” His breath was warm where it caressed her. She shivered. Jason drew the strands around Marlene's neck.
 
“Can I look now?”
 
“Not just yet.” He secured the strands and the safety chain. “Beth,” he indicated the case. When she stepped closer he pulled the earrings from it.
 
“I've never seen any that color before,” Beth said. Jason set the earrings on the vanity in front of Marlene.
 
Standing up behind Marlene, Jason said, “Now you can look.”
 
Looking at her reflection, blue pearls hanging around her neck, Marlene felt her mouth go slack. Glancing down she saw the matching earrings. Tears stung her eyes when she looked at Jason's reflection. “I... I... I can't. They're your mother's pearls.”
 
“You've got about five minutes to decide. Then Beth and I are leaving without you,” Jason said. Marlene's fingers rose to caress the pearls. “Well?”
 
Lifting one of the earrings, Marlene released the clasp and hung it on her ear. The second followed in short order. “You will take these home with you tonight,” she said. Jason nodded.

Ash indicated an airbike. “That's yours, if you can't tell by the size. Controls are really similar to a cycle. Each hand is the accelerator for that side. Rear thrusters are controlled by your feet. Press down for up. Pull up for down. Left handle controls the left front. Same with the right.”
 
“Shifter?” Charley asked.
 
“Auto. Warren was fiddling with a manual build. I'm not sure how far along he is with it. Pull back for a climb. Push forward for a dive.”
 
“Ever do a Crazy Ivan?” Charley asked, grinning like a mad woman.
 
Laughing, Ash smiled back. “Oh, yeah. Controls take a bit of getting used to, so don't get too carried away.”
 
Looking across the bay, Charley asked, “What's the difference between this and one of those?”
 
“This is like a bike. Those fliers are more like planes.”
 
“And enclosed. My hair gets frizzy in the rain.”
 
“Well, Jason put this on the order when he figured you were going to stick around for a while. It's built to your size. I'm not too sure how well you would fit in a flier. This button here,” she indicated it on the control cluster. “This is the wind screen. Basic on-off. It automatically adjusts for atmospheric issues, like rain, and speed.”
 
“On button?” Charley pointed one out.
 
“Yep. Flight bay open, Mentor.” A section of outer wall scrolled back on either side. Ash mounted her own airbike. Charley watched while Ash slipped her boots into the stirrups and brought it to life.
 
“Think I've got the basics.” She mounted the airbike. “Fit is good!” Ash gave her a thumbs up. Charley brought her cowl up into place and mashed the starter. They both gunned their engines and shot out of the side of the tower.

“Are you sure you're okay to be out here?” Trese asked. She set the broken plank on the cart with the other pieces.
 
Jason braced another broken board and released a low powered burst at it. It shifted enough that Warren could get a pry bar under it to remove the wood and the nails. “Aside from some dark dreams, I'm fine,” he said. Warren glanced at him and pushed on the bar. The board came free. Jason handed it to Trese, who added it to the pile in the cart.
 
“We get these last four boards done and then we can warm up and eat?”
 
Smiling at Trese, Jason said, “Did you and Dani body swap or something?”
 
“If Dani were out here I'd be warm. And I'm hungry.”
 
Warren popped the last broken piece from the post and handed it over. “Jason and I can finish up if you want to head back.”
 
Eyes glowing purple, Trese stepped above the snow on a platform she created. “Don't have to ask twice,” she said. She set off walking back towards the house, her platform disappearing a few steps behind. There was always more a few steps ahead of her.
 
Jason pulled a new plank off the cart. He held it in place while Warren rapidly hammered nails in one end, and then the other, fixing it to the posts. “Careful you don't crack the boards.”
 
Warren gave Jason a half-smile. “Not like this is my first time.”
 
“Cracking boards? Obviously not.” Warren chuckled. “You have been uncharacteristically silent. What's on your mind?” he asked, retrieving another plank.
 
“My dad.” Warren waited while Jason put it in place, and then just as quickly as the first, hammered it down. “What happened? You were supposed to heal him.”
 
Jason hung his head. “I tried. Against his wishes, I tried. There are some things that are beyond my power's ability to heal.”
 
“You say that like it is a separate entity.”
 
Grabbing another board, Jason put it in place. “Sometimes it feels like it. Ben was concerned about his quality of life had he lived. And about it for those who would have had to care for him. He had a stroke. There was some brain damage. Loss of blood flow.”
 
“How bad?”
 
“Bad enough,” Jason said quietly.
 
Warren hammered the board home. “He would have hated that.”
 
“You take after him.”
 
“Yeah.”

A classic use of this group comes from an Organization group called The Blood and Dr. McQuark.
 
In it the PCs run into TI as they are stealing some device from some research comp.
 
WHY?
 
To use it to find and loot a crashed, ancient spacecraft full of potentially valuable tech.  Though TI were tangental to the plot really, you could make them central.  Agents of TI are found setting up safe houses in the city.  As players clash with the agents, PM and his supers come in during the actual robbery to keep the players from intervening with the theft.  Now to track down the device and stop what ever plans TI have.  Season appropriately, serve to the PCs.  

That sounds hella fun.
 
"With my dying breath, I curse you!" and throws a grenade with his dying breath.
 
Next phase
 
On second thought, mayhap I shall as the Americans say 'fill you full of lead', and he drags his gun from his holster and autofires as the last drops of blood fall from his chest.
 
Next phase
 
Come to think of it, this may be the time for bloody knife work.
 
Next phase
 
His spleen plops to the ground. He glances down, "That, my good man, is a sign that the gloves must come off. And my brass knuckles go on!"

Very nice!  I have seen several gaming websites give very positive reviews, and that makes me happy, maybe more will hear about it.
 
Interestingly enough, going around the internet, Hero has a really good reputation still and is admired as a game company

“So, what did I miss?”
 
“The Old Man kept throwing his granddaughter at Jason. She never seemed to stick. Thank God,” Beth said. “Could you imagine the two of them together? Much less her having a say in the company?”
 
“No, no, and no,” Marlene replied.
 
“Your mom wanted to be here to meet the plane. Video calls just don't seem to quell moms. She will be here later. Probably dragging your dad behind. Passes are already in place.”
 
“Good. Good,” Marlene said absently. She smiled and nodded at someone that said hello.
 
“Marlene! I mean, Miss Palmer.”
 
“Hello, Jessica. Step into my office for a moment, please.” Jessica rose from her desk and followed Marlene and Beth through the door. Marlene set her bag down and embraced Jessica. “How are you?”
 
“I'm good. Fully healed, but you knew that. Mostly back together upstairs.”
 
“I'm sorry I wasn't here to help,” Marlene said stepping back to look at Jessica.
 
“It's okay,” Jessica said with a smile. “Where were you?”
 
“It's a long story. One I will regale you with on a girls' night. And who's this?” she said, turning towards her desk. “Replaced me with someone a lot younger?”
 
“I'm Michael,” the boy said from where he sat at Marlene's desk. He wore a fitted three-piece suit.
 
Marlene moved over to him and knelt down. “Hello, Michael. I'm...”
 
“Marlene. Jason was looking for you.”
 
“What are you working on?” she asked.
 
“I was playing a game with my friend,” Michael said.
 
“That's a nice suit.”
 
“Jason got it for me.”
 
The door to the office opened and Tara came through. “Michael, come here!”
 
“Tara,” Jessica said admonishing her.
 
Marlene stood up. “You must be Tara.”
 
“Yes, Ma'am.”
 
“Marlene.” Tara looked confused. “My name is Marlene.”
 
“Yes, Ma'am... Marlene. Jason let Michael play in his office. I meant no harm,” Tara tried to explain.
 
Smiling, Marlene said, “And no harm done.”
 
“But Mr. Croystetter...”
 
“Tara, who do you work for?”
 
“Ma'am?”
 
“Who do you work for? What is your position in the company hierarchy?”
 
“I don't... I don't have one. I work directly for Miss Gardner,” Tara said.
 
“That is correct. As such, whatever Mr. Croystetter might have to say about what you do or don't do has little bearing on matters where you are concerned. Understand?”
 
“Yes, Ma'am.”
 
“Good. Now, feel free to leave Michael in my care and go on about your business. I'm sure you and I will have time later to get to know each other better.”
 
“Yes, Ma'am.” Tara smiled at Michael and left with Jessica following after.
 
“She's going to be a tough one to break of that habit,” Beth said.
 
“Like you and Charles?” Marlene said grinning.
 
“I didn't have the benefit of going to school with his son. Look at Jason. He still calls dad 'sir'.”
 
“Which one?” Marlene asked laughing.
 
“All three of them. What do you make of the Old Man?”
 
Marlene waved it off. “Looking for leverage. Seeing how he can use Tara. As long as rumors don't start about Tara using her bedroom skills to get her job.”
 
“Unified front?”
 
Nodding, Marlene said, “If she needs it.” She turned her attention to the boy. “Okay, Michael. I am going to be needing my desk. You can move your game over to the table.” The table in question lit up.
 
“Okay.” Michael got out of Marlene's chair and limped to the table. Marlene gave Beth a questioning look.
 
“He's doing a lot better since his surgery. Doesn't need the brace and the doctors expect full mobility before too long,” Beth answered.
 
Marlene nodded. “Time to get to work and see what kind of mess my company is in.”
 
“Does Jason know you've taken over?” Beth teased.
 
“Pfft. Jason would give it to me if I asked him for it.”

Richard Branson takes a ride on his space ship.

Who needs Goodman?  We've got a perfectly good Hugh.
 

 
 
 

Longbow
 
Bryce Callahan stared at the monitor long moments after he had disconnected from Jason. Jason's girl reminded him of his own lost daughter. Maybe it was the way she looked sprawled across the front seat of her car reminding him of how Carlie had looked in the crime scene photos he had been shown.
 
“Poor Bryce. Wallowing in it. Unable to move forward.”
 
“Shut up, bitch,” he said pushing himself away from the desk. He turned his attention to the work bench. Trick arrows were sometimes a necessity for dealing with problems. He much preferred the simple expedient of a broad-head through his target's heart. “Like I did with you.”
 
Slash laughed. “And now you've got a ghost you don't know how to exorcise.” She wore gray knee boots, gray leather pants, tunic, gloves. A gray band around each bicep. Her mask was gray. She had been a Caucasian. The only color about her was her blondish hair, piercing blue eyes, red lipstick, and the bloodstain around and below the black hole where her heart had beaten.
 
“Take your mask off.”
 
“Wouldn't you rather I took this off?” Her hands went to closures of her tunic. “Then you can fantasize about doing wicked things with me.” She laughed.
 
“Take your mask off.”
 
She smiled lasciviously. “If you insist.” She pulled the mask down. Her blue eyes blinked in the mask. Her upper face was blank.
 
“I never looked at any of the pictures of you they shoved under my face. I never bothered to learn your name. Leave me the hell alone.”

They settled in the car. Dani turned it over, slipped it into gear, and pulled out. She felt Roger's gaze travel her body. “Are you Red?”
 
Dani chuckled. “Nope. I'm Dani. I tend to wear red because I look good in it and I like the color. Red prefers purple.”
 
“Ah. Where we off to?”
 
“Tailor. Wings doesn't want an off the rack. She would much rather have a good fit. You've got a son?”
 
“Lucas. Haven't seen him in forever.” Roger turned to look out the windshield. “She tell you everything?”
 
Dani smiled. “Only enough to make conversation.”
 
“You look familiar,” Roger said.
 
“Watch TV much? I'm an actress. Stage work and commercials mostly. A few appearances in TV shows.”
 
“At least you're a working actor,” he said.
 
“Not enough to keep me happy, but enough to keep me in the business. So, you're cleaning yourself up enough to get Lucas in you life. What about his mom?”
 
“I don't know where they are. I'd like to part of his life. I'm not sure how she feels about it. Can't talk to her.” Dani glanced at him. His attention was out the door window. “Why's she doing this?”
 
Dani smiled. “It's who she is.”
 
* * * * *
“How is it going?”
 
Dani turned her phone to show Kris. “Two suits. Blue and gray. Five dress shirts. Five ties. Six pair socks. Two pair dress shoes.”
 
“I don't know how I'm going to pay her back for this,” Roger said.
 
“Volume boost, Mentor. Roger,” came through Dani's phone louder than one would expect from any phone. “You will pay me back by doing your best to get the job. You will pay me back by making sure you keep the job once you get it. And lastly, you will pay me back by being a good father to Lucas.”
 
“Yes, ma'am.”
 
“We already discussed that, Roger,” Kris said.
 
Roger smiled. “Yes, Kris. How did your dinner date go?”
 
“He hasn't taken me up on it yet. I was informed that your appointment is on Tuesday. As your sponsor I am obligated to be there for the meeting. So I will see you then. Got to go.” Kris disconnected before either could reply.
 
“Well, I hope she spelled out her expectations,” Dani said grinning.
 
Roger grinned back. “I guess she did. What's next?”
 
“Lunch? I'm starving.” Roger nodded his agreement.
 
* * * * *
Tuesday morning came early for Roger. His grandmother had gifted him with a new briefcase and other things that she thought might help him. When he had opened it and seen what was in it he was shocked. The calculator alone must have set her back for the month alone.
 
He made his way to the kitchen to find her cooking breakfast. “You didn't have to get up early, Grandma.”
 
“What makes you think I got up early? Like you, I didn't sleep much. I figured at the very least I'd send you off with a full belly,” she said, poking him in it. “Today is going to change your life. You got an angel looking out for you.”
 
“I hope so, Grams,” he said, taking a seat at the small table.
 
She slid a full plate in front of him. “What time is that girl supposed to show up for you?” She sat in another chair with her own food.
 
Roger spoke through a mouthful of his breakfast. “Six thirty.”
 
“What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?”
 
Swallowing, he said, “Sorry, Grams. I'm nervous. Scared, really.”
 
“You got nothin' to be scared of, Roger. You done good. Your light shone and that angel saw it.”
 
“I'm sorry, Grams.”
 
“For what?”
 
“Goin' to prison.”
 
She patted his hand. “Best thing that could have happened to you. You got your life turned around and didn't end up dead like your father. Runnin' with the gangs could have done that to you.”
 
Roger nodded. “I need to get ready.”

There was a a gathering at a Steve Petersen’s house for the old Hero Games employees. He told the story of how Champions came the be, and the mad rush to hand collate 1500 copies of that first book, and of what a disaster con registration was for Pacific Origins, and how they turned it into an opportunity, but sending their booth babe, dressed as Wonder Woman down the the lines to hand out flyers. How the had Bruce Harlick squat on the only open gaming tables inside the hotel (the rest of the open gaming was in sweaty tents around behind the Hotel.) the game was a success People would play the demo, then get up from the table and walk into the dealers room and buy their copy for $10.  From there , the rest is history. The distributors that picked up whole boxes at Origins would start selling by August. And the Distrubutors asked, so when are the supplements coming out?”  So upon their return from the con, they wrote Enemies, and The Island of Dr. Destroyer. 
 
Here are some artifacts from that first weekend:
https://imgur.com/a/0E72NAX
 
40 years later it’s still going. 
 
Scott
 

Well the original map is still on sale at Hero so it is an active product.  https://www.herogames.com/store/product/275-hudson-city-map-pdf/
 
The original map was made by Keith Curtis and Jason Walters is the company. 
 
If Jason Walters was OK with it, I'd be glad to post my adjusted map as a resource or offer it up to be added so that when you buy the original you get the modified versions.  But I'm not too comfortable in sharing someone else's work that I just tweaked a little, especially since they are not at the same level of resolution as the original.
 

I don't actually have any errata to suggest, I just wanted to agree with the others that this was a great work, very needed, and I wanted to thank you for what you wrote.  It saved me a ton of time and effort in writing Western Hero, also.

Not at present, but I don't mind if you save the pix and text for your own use. Easy on a laptop, but I don't know if it can be done on a smartphone or tablet. (Because I've never used one, that's why. I'm so behind the times!)
 
dean Shomshak

Enhanced Sense: Taste, Ranged, Area of Effect, floors only.
 
It's not discriminatory or anything.  It just lets you taste any floor.
 
Density increase, activates only in free fall; deactivates one segment after completing free falll.  (actually did that one-- do that one, semi-regularly.  I have mentioned before that  our super world is populated with people who have powers who have elected not to become spandex commandos, and of course, not every power or power set is ideal for costumed crime fighting.  This is the case for a young man who now makes his career as a stuntman: his sole power is the ability to survive a fall from any height.  His friends have nicknamed him "Crater."
 
 

Is anyone going to Origins this year in person or online?  I'm hoping to go in-person and run HERO-Champions games.

I'll be running in-person HERO, too. 
And the church service.