csyphrett

Re: Palladium's Nightbane for HERO's Palladium as a rule depends on the GM to balance things when he sets the game. Some people can't do that. As an example of something that should be easy to handle is Invulnerability as a power. Every few months there is a struggling gm that says this simple power overwhelms his game. All it does is block mundane damage like high pd/ed armor. You can still strangle the guy if you had to. It even says it in the rule book. The Ultimate Metamorph is a good book to look. Before you start converting though you might want to like get a physical description of each character. That will give you something to build powers on. If the guy looks like a winged tentacled thing, that will give you a target at power design to shoot for. CES

Re: Palladium's Nightbane for HERO's Night bane are HU characters with weirder powers generally. Maybe a lot more power in some ways, disads in the others. CEs

Re: Palladium's Nightbane for HERO's If the roll is an 11 and you add ten for PS that's a 21. Supernatural str is carry 300 times and lift five hundred times with damage added in carry 6300 pounds and lift 10,500 pounds which is a little different from hero rules on str. Something like that will be at least a 40 str. Caps on the end reserve is okay but some things can blow the whole reserve in one shot. 60 is good for a start up I guess. It will seem low end. Talents can be built as multipowers with only in morphus, and other limits CES

Re: Palladium's Nightbane for HERO's As a PALLADIUM gm of twenty years, I can almost guarantee you will not be able to build characters like Nightspawn without multiform. Additionally each nightspawn is going to need a package deal which includes regeneration, armor, power defense (cannot be transformed to other forms), high charteristics, an energy reserve for talents (and some talents can use all the power in the reserve at once), extradimensional movement only through mirrors. Starting nightspawn are going to be in the 400-500 range depending on what you allow just on powers. the only other way to do it is build a 350 hero and make everything OHID and accidental change. CES

Re: (SoloUber) Webs of the Widower Page 4 Jason's move blocked the ball, sending down the outside lane. It headed for the open street as he flew backwards. Hands caught him before he hit anything. "You're sure you're not playing any sports?" Poster Rollins slid a little but kept Jason from hitting anything hard. No," Jason said, grunting, "but I'm pretty sure someone's playing ME. Thanks for the save, there." Maybe you should try to use your environment a bit more. Jason spared a quick glance behind him. Stop being a $#@!. This isn't about you. He ran after the ball, stretching his iron claw out again. No, it's not. This isn't about you wandering around naked in a storm, yelling at Shakespeare. It's about doing what needs to be done to keep that sphere from plastering little Betty Jo into the pavement. Oh, knock it off with the passive-aggressive smarminess already. So what if fate placed a sphere-based villain right next to a sphere containment facility? It's not predestined if you freely choose to go along with it. Summa Theologica. Just kick the damn ball into the damn skate park. Jason let fly with the tire iron. The flying hook bounced and missed as the marble rolled into the light traffic passing in front of the mall. "Chloe's car." Poster ran for the open jeep. "We can use that to catch up." The marble got hit by a delivery truck and got sent flying to Jason's right, down the main road. It bounced once, then started rolling again. Jason stared down the road for a moment, before snorting. "Nah, %$#! it." With that, he started back towards the mall. Hold on. You're just going to let it roll? Jason meandered over to where he had thrown the crowbar, and picked it up. Stop being passive-aggressive. That thing's careening into everyone on the road. He strolled back to where Poster was. "Not our car. I really don't think we can ask her parents to do that." You %%$#@ bastard! People are going to DIE because of that thing! He closed his eyes, turning away from the youth. So go chase after it! Get somewhere where those plans ARE feasible! he thought, He turned back, and stared straight into Poster's eyes. "We're not heroes, Poster. Let someone else handle it." The voice, for the first time, was silent. "It's cool, man." Rollins headed for Chloe's jeep. "You did what you could." He got behind the wheel and cranked it. A moment later, he started out of the parking lot. Jason stared out towards the teen. "Huh. I just got shown up by a teenager." He pondered the event for several moments longer, then shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Screw it," he muttered. "If he wants to go off and be useless, he can do it." Frowning at his own words, Jason trudged back to the broken window, passing the girls as he went. "Hey, um...Poster just took off with your jeep." "Why didn't you stop him?" Callie made this face that was half ferocious scowl and half pouting moue. "This is an awesome story and now he's getting all the credit. You suck." She stomped inside the broken store, looking around the debris. "Don't mind her." Lorna looked on something like amusement at her friend. "She wants to be a big city reporter like her cousin. She'll get over it." Jason managed to avoid a face-fault. "You mean he was doing all that for a BYLINE? Good lord, he's, what? Sixteen?" He began gesticulating with his hands, as though directing a particularly angry orchestra. "Reporters his age should be covering football games!" His voice began to rise. "ASB elections, Prom snafus! Not class one Felony crime scenes!" Then, he stabbed at the air, crescendoing. "Even the Hardy Boys didn't run after uberhumans until they got into college!" "Idiot kid..." abruptly, he brought it back down from its crescendo and into the denouncement. "Death isn't fun," he muttered, turning back towards the broken storefront. "Kids shouldn't chase after it." "He'll be okay, Jason." Lorna looked at the devastation. "If we can find out what started this, maybe Callie will ease up on the temper tantrum. The Sheriff's Department will be here to cover things up shortly anyway." She walked over to the owner of the shop, and began talking to him. Jason huffed, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Yeah, well...", then realized he was talking to air. Instead, he slouched the distance over to the broken window, and peered inside. "I didn't know a hamster could do that, Uncle Phil." The younger of the two customers fairly jumped and down in excitement. "That was awesome. Do it again." "Look, Will, I didn't do that." The older guy, maybe thirty with a bad complexion and glasses, looked at the destruction. "I don't think this is awesome at all." Jason thought as he made his way through the broken glass, "Destruction ain't cool, kid. People die from it." He stepped gingerly around a toppled D&D display, and turned towards the older customer. "But was that really a hamster?" he said. "I just figured I was just making jokes in the face of certain doom." "We thought it was a hamster." Uncle Phil rubbed his face. "We got it from the Ham Jam down the road. We didn't know it could do this." "It had that new protective device, Uncle Phil." Will jumped up and down. "Remember with the head lights and stuff." "That's right." Phil looked around the destruction. "Here's the box." He gave Jason a box that had a hamster about to be run over by a car. Ham Jam's Whammer Jammer screamed in bold yellow on the dark brown. "Wow." He peered closely at the box in his hands. "No, really. I mean, wow." He fiddled with the box a bit more, squinting inside for any obvious signs of nefariousness, before tossing it gently at his companion. "here y'go Velma. A clue. Hey," he said, turning back towards the older man, "Was there actually a hamster inside it, or was it just the ball running amok?" "Oh yeah we put Mike in there." Will looked down at the ground. "He was the best hamster ever." "I'll get you another one, boy." Uncle Phil rubbed an eye. "Let's go talk to the pet shop guy, Jason." Lorna hooked her arm through his. "Maybe there are more of these Whammer Jammers around." "There was a truck load, miss." Uncle Phil spread his hands out wide. "People were buying them like hot cakes when we left." *Aw, geez.* "Um, is that a metaphor, or was there an actual truck?" "Both." Uncle Phil looked up at the ceiling. "They were bringing the things in on dollies to be set out on the shelves." "Hey, um, we're planning on telling the cops about this whole Hamster Hellball thing, right?" Jason said as he allowed himself to be lead out the door. "What with their guns and badges and their promise to serve and protect, and all that stuff." "Let's look into it ourselves." Lorna smiled. "It might have just been one defective protector." Jason raised an eyebrow as the pair walked out. "Yeah. And here I was, thinking it was just MY balls that grew to enormous size when busted." As they walked back out onto the sidewalk , he not-so-casually looked around for some sort of mall map. "Uh, do you know where the pet store is?" "Yes." Lorna smiled. "Quit worrying. I'm not going to throw you down and have my wicked way with you, Tiger." The small double strip mall faced the road. On the left side and behind, an enclosed space held concrete bowls for skaters. Beyond that, Jason could see another building that faced the road the same as the mall. He could also see a sign that said PetSmart on the bottom half of the brick wall.

Re: Songs that inspire(d) you to make a Champions Character Before I even saw a game book I had an idea for a team based on eye of the tiger CES

Re: Notes from NSU Day Six Evan McCone, Dark Justice, investigated a house off the coast near the fish boiling. He found melted footprints and other clues that led him to enter the house. While he was talking to the owner who thought he was a robber, the Chemical Corps showed up. They had a running battle that destroyed the house. The kidnappers took the son living in the house for his power to turn to plasma. McCone followed them north across the border into Canada. He had several misadventures before tracking down their base. He followed the villains into the wilderness, engaged them, killed one, and was taken prisoner and brainwashed into obedience. Simon Poole and Ashlee Summer worked on the clean up, asked for a DNA sample from the dead woman at Arlington. They had a meal, then decided to work on the survivor of the theft in the hope that he was still connected somehow. The DNA test was a negative, telling them that the dead woman wasn't Johnstone. After a working a scam on Carter Nicholls, they ruled him out as having anything to do with the TROLL, or her attacks. Shana Goldstein and Will Blake tried to track Nathan Fellowes down. They followed his trail all over town until they reached Halo General. They were in time for Nathan to blow up in the operating room. Shana and Will investigated, figuring out that Nathan was constantly being monitored. They returned to the paper, finding they had a Belmont on their trail. They tried to ditch him as they flew back to Graham's hotel so they could talk to him. More Belmonts and Taylor Davidson, a wampyr, interrupted the conversation. The Belmonts were soundly beaten, but Graham decided to leave for points west. The trio split up and meet at the All Nite to talk about their plans. They decide to go to Happy's Island and at least try to rescue the others. They run into Dewer the Contract Demon. They flee across several dimensions before Taylor nullifies him. They pick up Dawson and return to the real world. Kendo Hitashi returned to his job and was taken by SRJ during a faked delivery. Nathan Fellowes woke up in the alley dressed in Patrick McGoohan's old suit again. He ran around town until he met a sailor who gave him some advice. He went to a clinic who referred him to Halo General Hospital. Initial reports indicated he was some type of artificial man with implants in his head. He took one call from Control, never guessing he was being monitored. Control blew him and the operation staff up. Frostburn went shopping at the River Mall. A commotion drew her to the tourist dock where she found the girl she had seen the night before had been turned into a dead old lady and staked in the river. She looked around and couldn't find Tam, but did find a bum who had seen the TROLL go in the river the day before after battling Frostburn and Inferno. Jui-Shen, Ninja Weasel, left the sewer Kingdom of Rats to avenge the damage done by the TROLL on Kenton. He ran into George Silver, a local bum. They found signs the armor had used the river to escape. They decided that the thing had gotten on the highway and gone somewhere out of town. The partners stowed away on a train east, stealing clothes and food. They got off in Temple City and fled from security. Pat Smith was asked to look into the strange aging deaths by Hound Roberts. He started asking questions, narrowed his field to the Aztec. He caught up with Tam on a pier and shot him. The killer got away by falling into the river. Pat went after him, encountering several of the secretive ninjas underground who directed him to Tam's lair. The killer had not returned.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Unnatural Inquirer by Simon Green: John Taylor has to get back a recording of the afterlife for a tabloid. CES

Re: Catgirls (and Catboys) for Fantasy I don't anything about making cat people, Mike, but it seems to me the two easiest ways of doing something like this is watching a cat and add human features. Or pick a cat person from a cartoon or manga and use that as a base model like Puss in Boots from Shrek. Just my first thoughts. CES

Re: Help: Mental Imagery into a Campaign World Also sometimes you don't need the whole background. You just need a start point. Once you have that one thing, you can add on. Take something like the Crow. The central premise is a man who comes back from the dead to avenge a wrong. If that is a start up, how many Crows are there, does anyone know about this, does the authorities use them as bloodhounds to make arrests? All kinds of things can be put on. I'm just saying that sometimes you just need that spine, that central idea. Then you can add on at will. CES

Re: Magistrate's end [story] epilogue Not far from where Jerry Silver had his accident before the second world war, a college campus had sprung. Its study of superhumans and the way they affected the world had become world famous. Hardware that wouldn't be ready for use by normal people came from its departments' skills and training. Among its student body, Jeff Bronze wandered, trying to figure out how not to flunk his classes. Jeff went with the rest of his class to a demonstration of a new accelerator that was supposed to let researchers catalogue more particles than he could remember the names. Professor Allen seemed to think they would be building the next generation of atom smashers in his class according to his syllabus. Jeff hoped not. The equipment geared up just as it was supposed to. Jeff had taken a position near the front of the tour so he could make notes. If he had to build one, he might as well write down how they were supposed to work. As far as he could see everything was going beautifully. Outside clouds gathered over the campus, promising rain for any who happened to be standing outside in the next few minutes. Imaginative observers claimed to see a face in the clouds to anyone who listened. A single stroke of lightning speared down from the cloud. Thunder was heard two miles away. Then the cloud bank broke apart. They had come to deliver that one shot of lightning and their job was done. Time to break it up and move on. Jeff stepped closer to the machinery, noting readouts and the chatter of the computers. He heard something that sounded like thunder. He put it down as impossible. He was underground, and right next to running machinery making a lot of noise. No way in the world would thunder reach where he was. Then the world decided he needed a lesson and exploded in his face. They told him later that electricity had formed a lightning bolt from one of the panels with a telephone hookup to the outside world. He had suffered some minor burns but had survived an event that axed through the nearby equipment like a barbarian. No one knew what had happened, but they wanted to do some tests to make sure he was really okay. Jeff decided it was better to go home and get some real sleep and skip getting tested. He didn't want to be a guinea pig for the brains. He could already see how they treated students who wanted to pass their classes. He was better off trying to figure out how he had survived such an event on his own. Jeff took the next few days off, worried about the constant noise in his ears, and the lights that hovered on the edge of his vision. Pain killers did nothing for that. They dulled his thinking which might have saved his life. It kept him down in a cloud until the day the scars on his body healed up instantly. He had wanted the throbbing to fade and the fading burns to go away faster. They did. That cut his fog instantly. Several times he had almost wished for himself to be gone. He could see that as accidental suicide. Jeff didn't know what had happened to him, but he had a power, and a responsibility. And if he used it wrong, it could blow him apart by mistake. Life wasn’t getting any easier. He just had to do the best he could.

Re: Magistrate's end [story] 12 They held the funeral for Jerry Silver two days after he had died. There wasn't a need for an autopsy, or any restrictions except for filing paperwork on what had happened. Kevin Reilly filed his own statement, and was back at his post within the day. He imagined bigwigs at the U.N. breathing a sigh of relief someone capable of nuking a city was gone for good. He also thought they wanted Enoch's body for something stupid and Frankensteinian. He cracked a beer himself when the Chemist reduced the corpse to two pounds of ash that would never bother anybody else. The Chemist scattered the ashes into the ocean before picking up an urn and filling it with all the ashes from Silver's cigarettes they could find. He sealed it and sent it over to the prison holding Scriptus. That should keep him from trying to find the real thing if he ever got out. The team decided that a crypt on Tower Island would be the best thing. The Chemist and Maker worked to expand the island, including her wards and protective systems before a small graveyard was built up out of stone. A statue of Silver marked where he would be laid to rest. A priest named Monahan came in to bless the ground as soon as it was ready for its first official duty. Everyone wanted to attend the funeral. It was a great photo op with a fallen hero. The Magistrates forbade it. The only people invited were Tower staff and family, Mr. Pletskin from the U.N., and various members of the hero community that wanted to attend. The ceremony wasn't televised, and Reilly actively discouraged anyone trying to sail or fly by to take pictures. John Public, Phaeton, the Chemist, Pointer, The Persian and Watcher acted as pallbearers. They walked the coffin out of the Tower and placed it on the straps to lower it in the ground at the end of the ceremony. They stood with the crowd as Monahan quietly read the eulogy and delivered his message. Then they lowered the casket into the slot carved from the rock. Monahan said a blessing, and then the Chemist sealed the grave from intrusion from anyone less skilled than he. They activated the security system as the mourners filed back to the Tower to get something to eat and drink before going home. The Magistracy were the last to leave. They had been repaired for the most part, and the Chemist had finally gotten his body back to the way it had been. The last few days had been put on taking care of immediate problems. Now they had to consider the future. "Mr. Pletskin wants to know what we're going to do." John Public stared at the grave. "Do we stay together, or break up?" "I'm for staying." Luna had an arm around Phaeton who held her with his own arm. "Phaeton and I have nowhere else to go." "I'm staying too." Quick brushed her dark hair from her eyes absently, holding her helmet with the other hand. "I like what we do for the most part." "Staying." John looked up. "We do some good so I don't see why we shouldn't keep trying. Maker, Chemist?" "I'll stay if you're staying." Maker let her armor return to a black dress and shoes. "The U.N. is helping me plan projects for assistance. I can't give that up, and I won't give you up now." Everyone looked at the Chemist. His face behind his sunglasses seemed stony and unreadable. He had placed more than few comrades in the ground around the world. Jerry had asked him to provide muscle and Jerry was gone. He could retreat to his hideaway and turn his attention to other things besides the mundane world. He found himself asking what would Jerry do if the positions were reversed. The answer was as obvious as it was painful. He would keep going no matter what. Could he do less than that? "I'll go along." The Chemist lit up a cigarette. "I have some things I have to do. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" "I thought you didn't smoke." John felt his expression match that of everyone else. It consisted of some surprise and confusion. "Just one for old time's sake." The Chemist wrote on the air, stepping through the fracture he had created. "What now, fearless leader?" Luna asked John. "We do what we can to make things better for people." John hugged Maker to him. "Let's see if any of the food is left."

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Reading through Lisey's Story by Stephen King. Still wondering what's going on. CES

Re: The New Circle 6 Character Name: Soldier Real Name: Deever Brothers Nationality: American Hair/Eye Color: Brown/brown Place of Birth: Amalgam City Date of Birth: 1/2/1980 Height/Mass: 5'9", 170 pounds Cost Characteristic Value 20 STR 30 45 DEX 25 20 CON 20 40 BODY 30 11 INT 21 40 EGO 30 10 PRE 20 COM 10 PD 6 ED 4 5 SPD 4 REC 10 END 40 STUN 55 OCV: 8 DCV: 8 OECV: 10 DECV: 10 Phases: 3,6,9,12 Cost Powers and Talents (END) Multiform (Deever Brothers) 102 pts Weapons 60 pt Multipower OAF -1 30 pts 6u Arrows 12d6 Energy Blast, Variable effects +1/2, Variable advantages +1 OAF -1, Gestures-1/2 1u Arrows 6d6 Entangle Requires a Wall -1/2, OAF -1 Gestures -1/2 No defense -1 ½, Cannot Form Barriers -1/4 13 pts 3u Arrows Grappling line 60" Swinging OAF -1 30 pts 3u Sword 12d6 HA hand to hand attack (-½) OAF -1 30 pts 3u Revolver: 12d6 Energy Blasts only versus PD Stun Only -0 OAF -1 30 pts Sleep Gas: Drain 2d6 Stun 20 pts Ranged +1/2 NND + ½ Area Effect 6" +1 OAF-1, Visible -1/2 24 pts Armor: (20 PD/10 ED) 45 pts OIF -1/2 30 pts Armor: Self Contained Breathing 10 pts OIF -1/2 7pts Cost Skills 3 AK: Amalgam City 13- 3 KS: Underworld 13- 2 TF: Wheeled Vechicles 3 Combat driving 14- 3 KS: Sports 13- 3 KS: Martial Arts 13- 3 KS: Martial Underworld 13- 1 WF: Swords 4 Block 4 Disarm 4 Strike 1 Weapon Element Sword 3 KS: Chemistry 13- 3 PS: Chemistry 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Forensic Medicine 13- 3 Paramedics 13- 3 Criminology 13- 3 Deduction 13- 2 Survival Woods/Jungles 13- 3 Tracking 13- 2 Navigation: Land 13- 1 WF: Bows 2 Weaponsmith 13- 2 WF: Small Arms 3 Stealth 14- 2 Animal Handler 13- 3 KS: Writing 13- 3 PS: Writing 13- 3 Research 13- 3 Streetwise 13- 3 Interrogation 13- 3 KS: History 13- 3 KS: Birds 13- 3 KS: Anatomy 13- 3 KS: Bird Anatomy 13- 3 Climbing 14- 3 Oratory 13- 4 TF: Jets, small planes, helis, jet fighters 3 Combat piloting 14- 2 Navigation: Air 13- 3 Systems Operations 13- 3 Mechanics 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 PS: Military 13- 3 KS: Science 13- 5 Cramming 13- 3 Teamwork 13- 150 Points Disadvantages 15 Secret Identity 25 Hunted by Underworld 11- 25 Hunted by Viper 11- 15 Watched By Primus 11- 10 Reputation: Erratic Vigilante 11- 10 Rivalry with other street level heroes 15 Psych Lim: Protective of Amalgam City 20 Code versus Killing 10 DF: Psychic Noise 5 Accidental Change when asleep 8- 187 experience pts CHA Cost = 191 Total Powers Cost = 209 Total Skills Cost = 137 Total Cost = ________537__________ Character Name: Soldier Real Name: Deever Brothers Nationality: American Hair/Eye Color: Brown/Brown Place of Birth: Amalgam City Date of Birth: 1/2/1980 Height/Mass: 5'9"/170 pounds Cost Characteristic Value 5 STR 15 15 DEX 15 16 CON 18 10 BODY 15 10 INT 20 40 EGO 30 1 PRE 11 COM 10 PD 3 ED 3 5 SPD 3 REC 6 END 36 STUN 31 OCV: 5 DCV: 5 OECV: 10 DECV: 10 Phases: 4,8,12 Cost Powers and Talents (END) Mind Link, no line of sight 35 pts, only to other brothers -1 Feedback -1 Cost Skills All (13) 3 AK: Amalgam City 13- 3 KS: Underworld 13- 1 TF: Wheeled Vehicles 3 Combat Driving 12- 3 KS: Sports 13- Bruce (23) 3 KS: Martial Arts 13- 3 KS: Martial Arts Underground 13- 1 WF: Swords 4 Block 4 Disarm 4 Strike 1 Weapon Element: Sword 3 + 1 Dex Clark (23) 3 KS: Writing 13- 3 PS: Writing 13- 3 Deduction 13- 3 Research 13- 3 Streetwise 13- 3 Interrogation 11- 3 KS: History 13- 2WF: Small Arms Ray (23) 3 Electronics 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Mechanics 13- 3 KS: Sciences 13- 3 System Operations 13- 5 Cramming 13- 3 Teamwork 13- 1 + 1 Int Oliver (23) 2 Survival: Forests 13- 3 Tracking 13- 2 Navigation: Land 13- 1 WF: Bows 3 Weaponsmith 13- 3 Stealth 12- 2 Animal Handler 11- 3 Paramedics 13- 3 + 3 Str Carter (23) 3 KS: Birds 13- 3 KS: Anatomy 13- 3 KS: Bird Anatomy 13- 2 Navigation: Land 13- 3 Stealth 12- 3 Climbing 12- 3 Oratory 11- 2 Survival: Woods 13- 1 + 1 Int Harold (23) 4 TF: Small and Large Planes, Helicopters, Fighter Jets 3 Combat Piloting 12- 2 Navigation: Air 13- 2 Survival: Woods 13- 3 System Operations 13- 3 Mechanics 13- 3 Electronics 13- 3 PS: Military 13- Barry (23) 3 KS: Chemistry 13- 3 PS: Chemistry 13- 3 Computer Programming 13- 3 Forensic Medicine 13- 3 Paramedics 13- 3 Criminology 13- 3 Deduction 13- 2 +1 Con 50 Points Disadvantages 15 Secret Identity 10 Reputation: Erratic Vigilante 10 Rivalry with other street level heroes 15 Psych Lim: Protective of Amalgam City CHA Cost = 102 Total Powers Cost = 12 Total Skills Cost = 36 Total Cost = _____150_____________ Plot Hooks 1) The players come across a closed research facility. It looks abandoned and cleaned out hastily. A discarded file mentions the fact the research was about building squads of troops who could merge into one super soldier. Is the research still going on? And what happened to the test subjects? Plot Hook 2) The characters have been left a clue to a robbery in the form of a puzzle. The problem is the same puzzle has been sent to other heroes across the nation. What is being robbed and why gather so many vigilantes together? Plot Hook 3) The team psychic has an encounter with someone who carries a mental noise signature that promptly vanishes inside a crowded area. He then encounters Soldier who also has a similar signature few days later. Hilarity ensues. Background Information: Phillip Robertson worked as a stuntman and physical effects designer. He enjoyed the job despite increases in technology away from physical effects for new CGI paintings. His latest job was to test fire a rocket plane with pilot to be filmed for a new hero show. Everything looked okay, so Phil decided to be the pilot and ride the plane to a planned landing in the Pacific. The rocket exceeded expectations by a 1000%, carrying Phil into low orbit through a radiation cloud, then back to Earth. The vehicle crashed, exploding on impact just off the beach. It left a radioactive man behind, turning the sand into glass. Phil built a makeshift suit to contain his new body with the assistance of his fellow engineers and builders. He became a recluse for a long time before someone spotted the Amalgam City tryouts and his former employers were loading him on a plane to Kansas. Phil cut loose with his radioactive body, realizing that he could still do something with his life even though he had essentially turned into a freak. When the team gathered together, his shell proved good enough to take a beating, while his burning self dismembered anything mechanical with lightning swiftness. Newsmen named Phil Patrolman D for the almost letter that was formed by his closed plastron. Quote: "I'm ugly? You're not that good looking yourself." Personality: Phil is prone to bouts of self pity over his appearance, and the state of his life. That leads to anger at the world, and the need to punch something. Phil will allow this to lead him into situations where he could be hurt by greater numbers, clever devices, or ambushes. Appearance: Patrolman D is a robotic shell that resembles a plain bronze marionette. The chest is actually a hatch that opens to reveal his inner self to the world. His real self is a flying silhouette with glowing eyes. Powers: Phil basically has two bodies. One is the outer shell that functions as a robot with armored strength. The other is the radioactive silhouette that can fly, burn things with a touch, even change shape to a limited degree. The robot is powered by Phil and shields others from his powers. When he leaves, it patiently waits for him to return to it. He has looked into better materials and ways to repair damage faster to keep the danger to the Legionnaires to minimum in case his shell is broken in battle. So far he has been able to build two lesser shells for housing.

Re: What Have You Watched Recently? Unleashed was on last night. Bob Hoskins wasn't a nice guy in that. CES

Re: Teen Guardians Thursday the fourth Mr. Four landed on the deck, making sure that Nariko was behind him. The sailors looked aghast. Maybe flying men weren't a common sight around the desert. "Who goes there?" One of the sailors drew a glass cutlass, the blade glowing with internal fire. Nariko backs up a step and smiles nervously, her hands moving in a universal "waitaminute" gesture. "Hey, hey...we don't want any trouble here! We're explorers..." "Explorers, eh?" The sailor brandished his cutlass. His friends brought up glass flintlocks, long of barrel, some kind of mineral under the hammer. "What kind of explorers can fly? I say we fill them full of holes." The growl emitted by the other sailors seemed to echo the speech. Saturday the Sixth The past three days had gone without incident with no news about Heartbreaker except a calm in the storm. School was recovering a bit from the death of the Principal. Some students have taken the chance to grieve or to actually ditch school. Patty wasn't one of those--she went, even though she probably could've gotten away with it... The day was Saturday 6 in the morning and Eric was bringing in a few things he'd purchased from an electronic store. But he was being followed by the most interesting of creatures. Not a Human or Monster, unless you where allergic, he was being followed by a tabby. Eric had sent a text message out earlier to meet at the base whenever they could today. If they where really serious about being teen heroes and dealing with their youthfulness at the same time. They were going to need to actually sit down and plan out what they needed. Thus he brought electronic components to see about building a few communicators. After all it was just a matter of time before someone noticed the cell phone use. Patty rolled over at the sound of her cellphone vibrating on the table by her bed--she flipped it open with sure hands and read the words with bleary eyes--and smiled. She stumbled out of bed and down the hall in her comfy Packers nightshirt to the bathroom--a few minutes later, her hair pulled back into a pony-tail, she tip-toed past her parents bedroom with a hushed, "Going running, back later!" and pulled on her sweatpants and sweatshirt over her familiar and comfortable costume. Entering the base he smiled "Anyone else here yet?" He called out. The cat behind him meowed as it walked in after him as if trying to imitate him. From behind him, he heard light footfalls and the words, "Just got here," as mumbled from around a bite of donut; Patty padded up with an already open box of sugar-coated donuts. "Where'd the kitty come from?" She made herself comfortable, hopping up to a seated position on a dusty counter top. "There's a new girl down the block from my house." Eric looked over at the cat "Well.. to be honest the cat's been following me since I found a 24 hour electronic shop. It was kinda impressive. The cat doesn't seem to have a collar or anything though." Patty knelt down: "Nice kitty?" she said, reaching to pet it. The cat hissed at Patty as it moved closer and around Eric almost as if it was being scared and possessive at the same time. She pulled her hand back quickly. "You've got a friend who's jealous." She flashed him a smile. "Maybe she's a girl cat then..Weird never had problems with female animals before." "Really?" Eric looked at her with a smile "Think she's one of our kind or just a normal teenage girl?" "Dunno, she seemed nice, walked home with her yesterday--she and I are going to the mall this afternoon." Looking towards the door Eric raised an eyebrow "Hope everyone is able to make it in alright. It is a Saturday. No telling how parents are reacting to their kids running off instead of watching cartoons. Speaking of which, how'd you get away from your folks. "I would have thought after this week your dad would tie you to the bed to keep you home and safe." Eric of course meant what happened at the school. He didn't really know if Patty's parents knew about her powers or her desire to be a hero. Patty made two more donuts disappear at lightning speed. Licking her fingers, she said, "I left before they got up, told them--and left a note--that I was going running, they know I wanted track, or at least, that's what I"m telling them, not that I can actually do it, wouldn't be fair, and the only person...tied up?" She looked at him and smiled. "Uh...no." Eric smiled "well that works I suppose. Well I was asking people to come by so we could discuss maybe creating some sort of organization with our group. Such as maybe a communicators so that we don't have to depend on cell phones." The cat leapt up onto the counter and batted it's head against Eric's hand as he spoke, yet creepily enough the cat seemed to stare at Patty during the conversation. Pusher stepped through the wall marked GARAGE in big letters. He went over to the screen marking off his living quarters from the rest of the area, and dropped his keys on the end table. "What's going on?" He looked at the cat. "No pets." Patty looked at the cat and nodded. "That's right, kitty, no pets, that means your pet human has to leave," she giggled. "Sorry, it's a good day." She folded her legs up beneath her on the countertop and proffered the box of donuts in the direction of Pusher. "Donut?" "I don't see why not." Pusher kept one eye on the cat as he took a donut. The cat looked at Pusher a moment before starting to groom itself. "Well, I was thinking if where going to be the big team of teen heroes we might start with making communication a bit easier. It's only a matter of time before someone starts to notice the cell phone use in the school and start to work towards tracking us down that way. I found a place where I could buy some cheap electronic supplies so I was going to get people's ideas on what they wanted the communicators to look like. Something that doesn't call attention to our normal identities." Eric added. "I don't have a normal identity." Pusher looked around at his new home. "Anything is fine as long as it's untraceable." "How about we talk about that later, when we're alone. I'm aware you guys probably want matching decoder rings but maybe it would be better if we all had something different looking, something that goes with our secret IDs and has no features that would identify us as part of the same team. Say a bracelet/earring combination for the girls (all different of course, let the girls choose the style) and possibly a watch or something for the guys. Of course I'll probably have neither since while I trust you guys about as much as anyone, I don't trust your ability to block out telepathy." said Hardball walking in. "Oh and speaking of things I don't trust, who brought the cat in and has *anyone* checked it for, say, bugs? I hear they all have chips these days which allow them to be identified and, possibly, tracked which would lead whoever owns it to our 'secret hideout.' Patty felt his accusing stare on her. Eric nodded "That was an idea I was thinking about. Something to match each of us. But no one will force one on you Hardball. As for the cat, it's been following me since I left the electronic store. It's a stray as far as I can tell. It doesn't have a collar and no obvious bugs, except maybe the organic kind. Although it doesn't seem that fond of Patty for some reason." Eric looked down at the cat as it walked towards Hardball and took a seat on the floor as if pondering if it should jump up at him. Patty ignored him--she'd already made her feelings known about him, and as far as she was concerned, his opinion on any subject didn't matter in the slightest. "Tall order," Patty considered, "who gets this, and who calls us into action, I don't see you giving one to the police commissioner." "We can give one to Detective Allen." Pusher picked up the cat and put it through the ceiling and out on the street. He sealed the hole up behind him. "He is still running down everything we gave him on Blanche. He knows he can depend on us." Hardball almost chokes on his donut at the thought. "They should probably be two way so any one of us can call the others at any time. If we see crime going down in our secret IDs, or even something during our patrols that we think the group needs in on we can call them and fill them in. For instance on the night you guys caught Heartbreaker, thanks for that By The Way,... (he seems to be aiming that as Patty, now that his suspicions of her and the cat have turned out to be unfounded)... there was an attack on the Burger Barn and when I took off after the people responsible I found myself up against and entire gang. Time was I could have handled them alone, but at the moment it would have been good if I could have called in back-up. Far as I can see that's what we would use the communicators for." "Some depend, I let her get away," Patty said, "but that's a start--anyone else?" "There are other members of the police force, perhaps Emp's company might need one for later." Pusher knew it was Eric's employer but why deal in specifics. Eric coughed a bit "I'll think about it. But if everyone likes the idea of watches for the guys and ear rings for the girls I can start drawing up plans. I think with Pusher's powers we can mold the communicators into existance with the supplies I got." He smiled as he looked up where the cat had been removed "Well that was certainly one way to get rid of a pet. So that's all I wanted to discuss this morning with you all. After losing Heartbreaker, I feel the need to try and do something fun. Any ideas?" "I'm building a vault for our trophies downstairs." Pusher indicated the small box by the chalkboard he had constructed. "What are you thinking?" "As a group?" Patty asked aloud. "Um, not sure if that's a real good idea--my idea of fun is almost certainly not the same as Pusher's, and I kinda thought about just...well, hanging out at the mall today and maybe something later on." She shrugged. "I'm planning on enjoying my teen years this time around instead of graduating in three from High School." "At least you can graduate." Pusher frowned. "What do you have in mind, Eric? Obviously you want to go out somewhere. Why don't you lay on us?" "Rabbit's right." said Hardball "My idea of fun and everyone else's is probably radically different. If that's all we're here for I'll be going. Next time you call, please make sure it's 'work related', some of us need our beauty sleep." He turned and headed for the door. "No it's okay Pusher." Eric felt a bit bad about suggesting they just go and 'hang out together' they were heroes after all. "Well I had the plans drawn up for the basic idea of the comm systems along with a panic tracking system. Although Hardball likely wouldn't enjoy that feature. That way if one of us is in trouble we can home in on where they're at." "Pretty awesome." Pusher nodded. "When do you want to make these? I can build a set maybe but I don't know a lot about electronics." As Hardball left the to head back to the exit outside away from the HQ he found the exit litered with cats, several breeds but at least sixteen cats seemed to be there waiting. Strangely enough they also didn't look happy to see him as he moved forward, the same one that Eric had earlier. It began shifting becoming human shaped, well almost human she still had cat ears and a tail and her clothes formed around her. Sort of like a maid's outfit. The cats meowed around him as they too began changing. Similar in appearance to the first except for hair color. "We are here for the one you call Eric. Mister Hardball." "Well I made one so far, been kinda tinkering with it here and there. Although mine is basically my cell phone. I thought your power might make producing them easier." Eric looked over at Patty. "Although getting them smaller would be a problem for even my skills. Maybe we should just go hang out while I think this over. The mall is starting to sound pretty good about now." "I think I can get them smaller at least." Pusher looked at the spare parts. "I don't see a problem with that." Hardball calmly turned on his heels and walked back to the HQ. "Eric, there's a ... well I don't know the proper term for a group of catgirls ... a pack? ... works for cats but I'm not sure it does for catgirls ... an Otaku? ... anyway discussion for another time ... whatever a large group of catgirls in french maid outfits is called there's one looking for you. You see this is why we shouldn't take in strays, you let one shapeshifting anthropomorph into the HQ and the next thing you know you've got 16. Not that I'm complaining about catgirls in maids outfits, big fan of Manga and Anime actually, but even I can't cope with 16 of them..." Hardball tended to ramble in only one situation. When the inherent wrongness of a situation endangered his reality framework. This was one of those times .. "Tachyon, get Eric out of here." Pusher jumped up and grabbed hold of the wall. "I don't think we should let him near any more cat women after what happened the last time." Patty nodded, the look on her best friend's face firm in her memory. "Yeah, I think you're right," she said. Once that was yelled by the one they called Pusher the catgirls rushed forward. they'd been ordered not to carry weapons.. not that they really could when shifting. They where lucky the master created the special uniforms. Their claws were bared and they were ready for action. "Surrender him now and we shall not hurt you!" They seemed to all hiss in unison, almost like they where linked. "I don't think so," Patty said, stretching to her full height, standing on her toes and arms over her head. "Um, I mean, that's a pretty big threat..." There was a zip-bang as the girl accelerated, leaving behind an empty box of donuts--there had been eight a half-second earlier and Eric found himself in Patty's arms again. "So--you were saying...?" "We'll be glad to hand him over." Pusher gestured for Eric to come forward. Patty's mouth dropped open--and she eased Eric back to the floor, her very fiber vibrating from tension and the need for speed. "Huh?" The catgirls seemed to smile with some measure of relief at Pushers words "My goodness such a polite human, Very sensible. At least Miss Moo won't have to hurt the bus people. Yes that would be horrible." They put there claws away and stood ready as if to receive Eric they had eyes on each member sixteen was a large number of people. Patty touched Eric's arm as he stepped away...and balled within herself the energy she'd need shortly--she'd have to move quick, she suspected. Eric was more than a little baffled by Pusher at this point but walked towards the girls away from Patty. He'd rather make a break for it but he was hoping Pusher had a plan. Still Eric was wondering what they had meant by Miss Moo and the bus people. The speedster stood stock still, waiting... Pusher gave Eric a push on his back, changing his jacket, (or shirt, whichever can be touched) into a mix of mildly radioactive elements and catnip. The small traces of radium would mark wherever Eric went in case they lost him, the catnip would make the cat ladies drunk and lethargic if he was right about their DNA from what they had shown already. Maybe they might even decide that Eric was their new play toy. Eric felt the smack to his back and didn't really notice anything different however the catgirls as they pulled him forward suddenly went from many to only one, which now looked to be hair styled like a calico. "Well time to go." she grabbed Eric. "Just cause I'm going with you doesn't mean you get you manhandle me!" Eric spat trying to get her to let go, While she had a firm grip on her target she tapped her cufflink and with a sudden burst of light both where gone. A panic teleportation system, generally meant for long range but was also generally a one way trip. Patty launched herself, drawing into ever last reserve for one blinding burst of speed--it would be a bit painful later, but for now--if she were lucky...she'd go with him...with a sudden burst of light both where gone. A panic teleportation system, generally meant for long range but was also generally a one way trip. Patty felt the vibration from the transport for a moment it looked like she was in two places at once. There was a man at some sort of computer dressed in some sort of dark armor. She could also see the wall she was heading towards as her vision shifted back to normal as the vibration ended with her missing both Eric and the catgirl by what seemed like inches. It had also felt like the area had slowed during the transport likely a safety feature to insure if a target was traveling at a high speed (or falling) they'd arrive safely where ever it was that Patty had just seen. "Let's go, Tachyon." Pusher headed back to his work space. "We only have a few seconds before they realize Eric's jacket is radioactive. Before that happens, I'll need you to search the city." "NO NO NO NO NO!!!" Patty cried out, hitting her brakes and almost smashing face-first into the wall "I missed him almost got him he's in some place that's got computer stuff and he's in armor and I almost got him!" Patty stopped dead in her tracks, still vibrating hard. "Okay okay but how am I searching I don't have a radmeter or anything what have you got?" She seemed about to panic. "The ability to push molecules around, and the physics to make something that will read radium." Pusher looked at the components from Eric's phones. "The problem is I just turned Eric's jacket into two pounds of Radium. Everything he touches will glow in the dark unless we can find him first." Pusher took two pieces of gear from the box and worked his magic. "This should take you to every source of radioactivity in the city." He handed the chemical strips over. "Mark them and I will check them when I know where they are. The only problem I can think of is if the base isn't in the city, I might have killed Eric and the kidnappers and we might never find them." Her jaw dropped. "Do you realize how much radium that *IS*?" the devices disappeared from her hand and reappeared in hers. "there's less than a trillionth part of radium in each gram of soil--radium dissipates into radon--and that's more than enough to build a *BOMB* to level part of the East Coast if someone knows how to use it..." "Anyone near it will be dead before they can make it into a bomb." Pusher looked thoughtful for a second. "Unless they have a handy lead receptacle." She vanished in a pop and then reappeared. "That could kill the entire city oh my god..." *pop* As Patty began her search she came across one bus that seemed to have people going at it like it was 1960's free love on a bus. As she moved past it she felt like she was under a watered downed version of Eric's aura. Police where already there trying to figure out how to get close enough to the bus. The rad detector was beeping steadily as she moved past, the largest spike was in two locations. One was at Nu-tech building and the other was at an all girls private school. Which place did she want to search more carefully first? Pusher made another detector and got out the Pusher Mobile in the hopes of crisscrossing Tachyon's path. He couldn't drive as fast as she could run, but he could still do a search to help out. After driving and avoiding a few police officers that did want to slow down speeding drivers. Pusher noticed the same locations however there seemed to be some sort of problem with main roads as they where being blocked off by police officers and it was a route that Patty could have taken.

Re: xialin showdown page 19- Dr. Gadd led the way to the upper deck, his monitor beeping excitedly as he walked out on the wood floor. He pulled a vacuum hose off the side of his machine, starting the fan with a press of his thumb. "He's close, real close." Dr. Gadd pulled the goggles down as he looked around. Jade felt a chill in the air, her breath forming a fog in front of her. "Yes, I know he is. I can feel him near by." Jade looked around. "What are you doing in my beautiful house?" The ancient master appeared, frosting the floor with his presence. Gadd aimed the vacuum at the ghost and pulled the trigger. The stream missed as the ghost jumped out of the way. It swept his hand down, hurling blue energy at the doctor. The little man headed for the balcony, flying toward the edge to the street below. Jade quickly leapt over to keep him from falling over the balcony. She grabbed a leg to stop the doctor from falling to the street below. "Pull me up! Pull me up!" Gadd's pockets started emptying because of the dangling. Gunfire rocked the night as Jonny Woo shot into the ghost with pistols in both hands. Jade quickly pulled Dr.Gadd up as she said, "Are you all right? Oh and next time please jump the other way away from the balcony." "I was pushed if you don't mind." Dr. Gadd hit the switch on his equipment, reving the fan up. He pointed the hose end at the disturbed ghost. Jonny Woo caught another of those waves, sending him toward the stairs. The doctor pressed a button that turned on a light under the hose. The flashlight beam hit the ghost, the fan started whining as Song slid toward the machine. He tried to pull away but was torn to shreds and vacuumed out of the air. The detector turned green. "Oh, I am sorry. I did not know. So I'm guessing that means you got the ghost?," said Jade as she looked at the green light flashing on the machine. "I'm sure of it." Dr. Gadd swept the detector around. "It looks like you're clean at the moment, young lady." "That is great. Now let us move down to the cellar." Jade led the way downstairs. "Right behind you, young lady." Dr. Gadd followed Jade to the stairs. They found Jonny Woo getting up from his rough landing from where he had been hit by the ghost wave.

Re: Hero All-Stars 2008 I was going to mention some of those by Sketchpad but he covered everyone I could think of at first, but you know with Angelus and Spike, you leave space for Frankenstein's monster, any breed of werewolf, Lord Baltimore, maybe Time Cop, Morgan or any of the wizards from the Dresden files as well as earlier knights of the cross. Geez that's a mix right there. CES

Re: Superhero Archetypes Gadgeteer: Forge, Fixer, Toyman, The Ted Kord Blue Beetle. CES

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher- Tavi makes peace with the Canim Baltimore by Mignola and Golden- A soldier looses a plague on humanity. CES

Re: Magistrate's end [story] 11 The Chemist used a gate from New York to Los Angeles. He appeared outside of the Los Angeles Speedway. He staggered up the steps close to where Enoch had turned Quick into a statue. Once he broke the spell they could return to the Tower. He still needed to work on his body and repair it. The Chemist checked his bearings as he walked along the steps. He decided on a spot from his memory of the vision he had created. He wrote on the concrete with a misshapen finger. Each symbol was an effort. The concrete boiled producing a statue out of the staircase. The Chemist grimaced before writing the stone away to reveal a breathing friend. Quick glanced around, taking in the situation instantly. "Where's Enoch?" Quick took off her racing helmet, holding it under one arm. "Kevin Reilly shot him." The Chemist sat down. "He's dead." "Reilly shot him?" Quick sat down beside the magician. "That's almost impossible to believe." "That's what I thought too." The Chemist looked up at the sky. "The rest of the team are in sick bay. I don't know how they're taking what happened so far." "We should get back and talk to Silver." Quick stood, pulling on her helmet. "Reilly's in charge for right now." The Chemist also stood, brushing off his pants. "I don't know if the team will stick together, if the UN will want us together." "Reilly is in charge?" Quick put her hands on her hips, looking up at the slightly taller Chemist's face. "What happened to Silver?" "He didn't make it." The Chemist tried to look her in the eye. He thought it felt harder than it should have. "He burnt out defending the tower." "You don't think we'll keep our sanction without the old man." Quick had no problem looking him in the eye. "I don't know." The Chemist decided to look away. "The others have been returned home. As soon as you're checked out, I can fix my body." "I'll get on that." Quick tapped her foot once. "Do the others know?" "Only if Reilly told them." The Chemist shrugged. "I think he's waiting on me to do it." "I'll do it." Quick walked toward the exit. "Are you coming with me?" "I have a couple more things to do." The Chemist wrote on the air. "I'll see you back at the Tower when I'm done." Quick nodded before vanishing. The Chemist watched the dust trail settle before putting in his last finger stroke. Another gate opened for him to step through to a place in Kentucky. Time to check on the most important prisoner in the facility. The Chemist walked through the cell blocks full of mental patients until he got to Scriptus. The former writer barely looked up when he entered. No magic meant he didn't have the advantage he had used to build his empire again. "I have some bad news, Scriptus." The Chemist stood next to the door, hands ready to use. "Your son was killed during a battle. His body will be cremated in a few days." "Why bother to tell me this?" The former writer stared at the floor of his cell. "I won't even be allowed to be there for the cremation." "You're his only family." The Chemist held up one hand. "You should know what happened to him, and you should have his ashes." "What can I do with his ashes?" The writer stood, eyes glaring from the shadow of his brow. "What good will that do me?" "It will remind you what you threw away for your dream." The Chemist's face was stone. "It will remind you of what could have been." "I don't need a reminder about that." The writer sat down again, hands folding his legs to his chest. "Every day is a reminder of what could have been." "I doubt it, brother." The Chemist wrote and stepped out of the cell. "I doubt you really know what you lost." The Chemist waved at the guard before translating himself back to the Tower. He still had things to do.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Read through The Enemy and Killing Floor by Lee Child. Not SF but still good mysteries/thrillers. Read Buso Renken 9. Kazuki and Victor are heading for a last showdown on the moon. Reading Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher. Five chapters in and the hero has to face his wolfish enemy and the human allies they have made while dealing with court politics by people who don't know what the enemy can do. CES

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Reading the Enemy by Lee Child which isnt scifi and Buso Renkin 9 which is kind of, picked up Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher and Baltimore by Mignola and Golden. CES

Re: Magistrate's end [story] The Chemist arrived at the tower two days after the battle on the roof. His eyes were still mismatched but the rest of him looked in okay shape. He wore a set of casuals copied from a magazine. Kevin Reilly waited on the roof, unshaven, red eyed from the lack of sleep. He smiled slightly at the magician in greeting. "How are you, Kevin?" The Chemist tried to keep his voice steady as he limped across the pad. He hadn't quite got one of his legs right yet. "Better than you it looks like." Reilly turned to lead the way into the Tower. "That magic guy said he had everybody. We can't find them with the Step." "Take me to the body." The Chemist made an adjustment on his leg to get it working right. "I'd like to question it." "It's down in the morgue with the Chief's." Reilly headed for the elevator. "The goverments want us to give him over for research. They want to know what made the electricity tick. I told them to hold on until I figured out where the team had gone." "Good." The Chemist followed at a slower pace. The two rode down to the morgue in silence. Kevin led the way down to the refrigerated room next to the sick bay. Silver and Enoch lay side by side, covered with sheets. Their personal belongings sat in plastic bags on their chests. "Autopsies will be done as soon as we can get Maker back." Reilly stood by the door. "We pretty much know how they died." "Could you bring me a mirror, Kevin." The Chemist picked up each bag in turn, frowning at the contents. "The faster we do this, the faster we can find out what happened." Reilly stepped out of the cold room. He returned with a small hand mirror he had gotten out of a drawer. He handed it over, wondering if it was too soon to let the Chemist do magic. The magician looked like death warmed over. The Chemist wrote on the surface expanding it about two feet. He needed to be able to see what had happened. "Stand here with the mirror." The Chemist placed Reilly exactly where he needed him beside Enoch's head. "Don't move." The Chemist wrote a formula on the glass, carefully marking each symbol. The mirror clouded bit by bit, became black. Then scenes appeared before his eyes. He kept his mismatched eyes open to catch each symbol marking magic worked. That would make his counter magic easier to perform. He rubbed off the writing when he was done. "What did you find out?" Reilly put the shrunken mirror down on a table. "Everything." The Chemist dumped out Silver's bag, picking up the flash drive. "Luckily he didn't kill any of them. He just changed their existence." "What do we need?" Reilly stepped near the door, ready to get arcane ingredients. "Just a place to start." The Chemist wrote on the plastic shell. It opened under the pressure of his magic. Luna and Phaeton appeared, washed out by their prison of darkness. "And the right counter spell. Take care of them while I get the others, Kevin." "Will do." Reilly asked for help from the staff medic with his cell phone. He held both of the freed magistrates up, walking them out of the morgue. He didn't want them to see Silver on a slab as the first thing back in the real world. The Chemist wrote on the air. He stepped into the gate, looked at New York when his unmatching eyes cleared. Maker should be another easy one. Then John Public, who would be slightly harder. He would have to send them back to the sickbay when he got them together. The Chemist had to orient himself before taking a smaller step to the stadium where John and Maker had put on their show. He touched a wall, writing a symbol. He wrote another. Maker fell out of the wall, senseless. He wrote on her forehead to ensure she would heal and to send her to Reilly. He would know what to do when the engineer appeared at the medical station. Chemist pulled out sunglasses and covered his face. He had to get John back from being split up among the various people he used as a battery to enhance his being. To do that, he needed to locate a piece to use to locate the rest. One shaky finger wrote the word he wanted. The Chemist limped around the stadium, hunting for one person who would do. He found a group of them working in a nearby fast food place. He made a pretense to order, touching the counter girl's hand with a nervous squiggle of his finger. When he walked away, he held a tiny disc the size of a dime. The Chemist wrote a set of words on the disc, concentrating to make the signs as tiny as he could. Other pieces appeared, adjoining to the original until John Public appeared. He seemed almost his old self as the Chemist sent him back to the Tower.

Re: Magistrate's end [story] Thanks Jerome. I appreciate it. CES