Masks: A New Generation of Heroes

Game Master Cwethan

"Alleghory would say that any time I lose control I could start using my powers, so sort of? He's pretty high strung, but a really good teacher."

Wingblade chews her lip while she thinks about her own recent conversation with her teacher. "Huh." Her wings unfold and stretch in a very organic motion despite their metallic composition, then they snap back into the tight cluster of bladed feathers on her back.

"What does he teach, exactly? How to use your powers, or how to stop from using them? For me, I'm taught to use them, but carefully. You know, not 'disarming' someone when I try to, well, disarm them." She forces a smile.

Her small form rests comfortably on the human male and Imagine reads quickly. By scanning the book, the data is only briefly touched by her head before being psy-scanned into the psi-crystal array established on the base.

After reading the book, two things become apparent:
1) The Russian Empire fell when assaulted by the German forces and, though it surrendered, was not conquered, because it had many allies attacking the common foe. And,
2) something, she was not entirely certain what, was causing her two companions massive cortisol and adrenal fluctuations. In most Earthlings she could tell what they were thinking, but these...these were different.

She closes the book and stands. Looking at the library she turns completely around. Surely the answer must be here. But, even assimilating seven books a day, this would take....

Turning to the two boys she states, 'Gratitude for this. Perhaps we can accomplish a similar activity also at some later time?'

She replaces the book in its spot and leaves.

"Mostly when he wants to teach me something he just..."

a look of realization crosses his face and then he says in a low tone "That sneaky jerk."

After a moment of drinking in his revelation, Tycho explains: "He likes to tell me not to do things, in the most aggrivating way possible, so that he gets me to do the thing he wants me to do. That's not even close to right."

The corners of her mouth turn down as she watches Tycho become suddenly aware of his teacher's manipulative ways. Her nose crinkles as she thinks about Whippoorwill's own teaching style. She basically bludgeons her points until they're well beaten in her head.

She wondered what it would be like for Whippoorwill to use the same tactics as Alleghory apparently did. It made her head hurt.

She leans forward, looking intently at Tycho. "Does this mean he wants you to rule everyone with your mind?"

"I never considered that, but I hope not. This is...a lot to take in. I'm not sure what all it means, now that I think about it. I hope he doesn't, but I can't really know that now."

She spins a chair around and sits on it backwards, straddling the seat and resting her arms and chin on the chair's back. "Maybe it's just the little things he's doing that way? But he's being straight with you on the big lessons? You could probably go nuts thinking about it too hard."

"I hope your right. I can't imagine he would save me from a cult only to try and get me to become what they wanted me to become. It doesn't make a lot of sense."

Condition(s): Everything is okay.

The Team's comms channel buzzed to life, "Atoms 10-19 to Clocktower, Code 7."

Deputy Atoms stalked through the sewers on his way to Wingblade's Clocktower. Ever since helping with the clean-up at the site of the Haxor attack, his time had been spent in patrols, and as usual he didn't stop until his communicator needed to be recharged. The young man took his work seriously, to say the least, and so much so that he typically wasn't around during the team's daily hangouts unless specifically asked or invited because he was too busy 'working'.

-

Appearance

It didn't take long for Atoms to arrive after sending his message. Mysteriously, despite trekking through the sewer to get places, he never had a sewer smell or tracked any "mud". Still, that never stopped him from giving a hurried hello before politely excusing himself to take a quick shower.

"I'll be back in a second."

"Don't you dare use my loofah!" she calls after him.

"What the heck's a code 7... Or a loofa?" Hashtag asks. The kid had appeared in wingblades kitchen, already popping the tab on a can of soda and taking a noisy slurp.

He holds the can out. "Pibb ultra, want some?"

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Wingblade spins around on her chair. "A Code 7 means there's an intruder in my kitchen." She swipes the can from Hashtag and takes a drink. "And it doesn't surprise me that you've never heard of a loofah. It's right up there with such strange concepts like 'soap' and 'hygiene.'" She gives the delinquent a playful smirk as she passes the can back.

"Stay cool. Stay so cool. You're so cool, you're like ice Kenneth. The coolest of ices. Totally all ice. That is how cool you are." The mantra played quietly in his head here and there, the situation would've made Kenneth laugh out loud if he wasn't the butt of the joke in it. He also reminded himself not to even mentally say "butt" at this very moment. Here he was though, capable of bending the world and the cosmos underneath his will, but he was freaking out that the cute girl was sitting on his lap.

Eventually though, Imagine stood up again and he felt both a sigh of relief yet also one of regret. It wasn't really so bad after the first initial surprise. She was warm, she smelled nice, and it was a girl that wanted to hang out in the library. It wasn't the most romantic of things, of course, since she was trying to save her people but that was what a friend did for a friend right? He'd help her out however he could, it was the least he could do.

"No problem Imagine. Just let me know and we can look through the library together again and I'll help find you some other books. You take care."

When she departed, he leaned back into his seat with a sigh that was indecipherable and stared up at the ceiling. He could feel a presence though, something terrible about to happen, and he would lift his hand towards Hashtag with his palm outstretched and shake his head. "I know. I know. Just...don't say anything yet. You can't imagine how rough it is getting a girl's attention when your skin glows with arcane might and whispers follow you around. Just...let me have my moment."

And Eldritch would not say another word, letting his thoughts run rampant for the time being.

SOME TIME LATER

The door that connected to the ground entrances would open and in would walk Kenneth, the black hoodie pulled up over his head. His makeup was one point, the goth student looking good for those that were into that sort of thing as he made his way into common area of the Clocktower.

"Anyone home?" He shouts, tossing his backpack onto the couch before heading towards the kitchen. Usually there was something to snack on and Wingblade was cool with them snagging some food. She threatened them with violence, certainly, but she never actually committed the violence. That was what mattered.

"Nice. Pibb Ultra..." He murmurs, the sound of another can being cracked open as he turns and looks at the others with a small grin on his face.

"Hey a$#++#@s. Atoms in the shower again?" It was like a ritual for the man. He never smelled leaving the sewers but Kenneth could at least appreciate the effort.

"You guys see Tycho or Tectonic? I haven't seen them since Baby Neo was an idiot after movie night. Speaking of which, we should do that again sometime. The movie...not the fighting."

Wingblade looks at Eldritch strangely then points right past him, where Tycho is standing. "You not get your eyes back yet?" she asks bluntly.

She hops up on the chair and stretches both her arms and her wings. "But no, I haven't seen Ghost, Tec, or Imagine. I've been holed up here since the fight. Practicing."

She drops back down and sits. "I don't know, I could be up for either," she says with a dangerous gleam in her eye as her bladed wings fold up with a click.

"Oh s@~%, sorry Tycho. Just...an argument with the family is all. Really distracting and all." Kenneth says, the last being a bit of a murmur. He generally tends to avoid talking about his family life, finding that it is hard to complain about it compared to the others. Sure, his mother always seems tense around him and his sister is scared of him, but they're not supervillains at least right?

He gives a small laugh, leaning against the counter as he sips his can of soda. "I'm down for a movie, I hear there are a few comedies coming out. Maybe that'll be more of everyone's cup of tea. I'd rather not have more cars tossed around, burning one's own eyes out is not pleasant.

"No worries. I was just talking to our fearless leader" Tycho gestures to Wingblade "About my issues."

"kinda more like a subscription plan." Hashtag points out. "But those things are notoriously hard to get out of. S$%~... Billing keeps finding me, and I can teleport."

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"Maybe one with less space wizards?"

"No offense, Eldritch."

Condition(s): All clean.

@North Star/Tycho: Do you still have the Angry condition, or did it clear after barreling through a couple houses?

"Don't you dare use my loofah!" she calls after him.

The Deputy would not be stopped.

EDIT: Before going into the shower, Atoms puts his communicator on one of Wingblade's chargers.

Deputy Atoms comes back in once his shower is done and he's absolutely sure that he won't drip all over the place. He greets Hashtag and Eldritch, who arrived while he was washing up, and listens to the latest conversation, which was something about going to the movies again. With nothing to add to the current topic, he looks between the assembled members and weighs them in his mind, considering each and wondering about his relationship with them. In particular, he thinks about North Star, who he doesn't feel like he knows very well.

Pierce the Mask (+ Mundane): 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (5, 4) - 1 = 8
North Star: How could I gain influence over you?

Interesting question. You could have overheard my conversation with Wingblade and might offer to help me keep myself under control, or even ask about my Tragic forwardstory (razorblades not included).

"No offense taken. Hell, I don't even think of myself as a wizard...I don't even know what the hell I am." The last part is more murmured than spoken aloud before he looks back towards the others and gets that emotional facade back in place.

"Hey Atoms, good to see you all cleaned up." Eldritch pats the seat next to him, welcoming the Transformed over. "At least I still look human. Poor guy."

"We can even have a night in or something, I guess. I know some cheesy b-movies from the seventies and eighties. Old black and white stuff. If people want, if not, whatever."

"I think I have a laserdisk with 'Terminator' on it." Hashtag offers. "Classic movie. Some of us might like it more than others...But... uh... I'd need some help finding it."

Need help...how?" Kenneth says with only the slightest grin. Hashtag got a lot of flak for being a troublemaker but he wasn't the only guy to throw a little resistance against authority.

Condition(s): Pondering...

Interesting question. You could have overheard my conversation with Wingblade and might offer to help me keep myself under control, or even ask about my Tragic forwardstory (razorblades not included).

"No worries. I was just talking to our fearless leader" Tycho gestures to Wingblade "About my issues."

While drying off in the bathroom, Atoms had overhead North Star say that he was talking with Wingblade about some kind of issues. Concerned for his friend, and knowing it wasn't his place to pry into their private conversation, Atoms resolved to ask him later if 'everything is okay'. Just to check up on him. After all, North Star seemed really upset after the battle with Haxor.

"Thanks. Good to see you too." Atoms sits besides Eldritch, accepting his invitation. "Yeah, a night in would probably be for the best. I, uh, don't think anyone wants a repeat of what happened yesterday."

The thought of watching a black and white film intrigued Atoms. He always liked Westerns. However, before he can suggest seeing an old gunfighter movie, Hashtag speaks first. Atoms was good in a fight, but in social situations like this, he really felt like he had a harder time than the rest of the team, or any person in general.

Need help...how?" Kenneth says with only the slightest grin. Hashtag got a lot of flak for being a troublemaker but he wasn't the only guy to throw a little resistance against authority.

"Okay, I need someone to come with me to my house." he says. "I can't really take someone with me as I port, but I can send you first, then follow. No problem... or you could... fly, I guess." he explains, glancing at the number of air-capable friends he had. "Then, I just need help digging through the attic. There's just one problem... My foster father's probably pissed at me right now and if he catches me I'm going to be spending the night getting yelled at."

"I have some Danny Kaye movies at my place. You're all welcome to come, I have lots of room."

BTW, Eldritch you're still blind. I haven't forgotten and that doesn't just go away. If you wanna fix it, you're going to have to unleash your powers.

Also, conditions don't clear when we change "issues." Please try to resolve them before moving on, but if you don't, they're coming with us and I get to do fun things with the "in-between" time.

Tycho, to clear Angry *you* need to break something or hurt someone important to you. That is an actual character choice that I'm forcing you to make. Its not something you can say you did unknowingly or by accident. At minimum, I want something one character to piss you off irrationally, and for you to insult or lash out verbally at them.

Great scene Tectonic. Can't wait to run with that when we transition.

Alright gang, I know I said I'd move on soon, but I'm going to delay for one more post to get these condition issues out of the way before moving on.

May I do an unleash my powers then? I'd have had him move off somewhere where he can try to release his powers and take care of himself. Here is my roll for it!

Unleash Powers: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 6) + 2 = 12

Sorry about that, I'm still trying to learn the whole system and such. :(

MUCH EARLIER

Near the outskirts of Halcyon City, Eldritch would finally have the others let go of him. Stepping out into the clearing of trees, trees that already bore the scars of his power, he would take a breath. Crouching down, his hands began an erratic series of movements. Fingers bent in unnatural manners, designing arcane sigils that made one's vision blur when they stared too long at it.

"✞︎♓︎⬧︎✋︎□︎☠︎ ︎♋︎︎☜︎ ︎●︎♏︎♋︎☼︎" He would whisper out and pulse would move through the air. A gust of wind followed, blowing in every direction away from Eldritch. Both Deputy Atoms and Tectonic would feel that power and just the bare sense of wrongness to it. That sensation always seemed to follow his powers.

He'd stand up and turn around, the fire spilling from his eyes like tears and disappearing into nothingness. Only the blues of the man beneath were left, so natural and utterly human.

"There. All better." Kenneth said with a smile, turning with the others to head home.

CURRENTLY

Eldritch will give a nod and nudge Hashtag in the shoulder, grinning. "Yeah, I got your back. We'll get the goods and get back here no problem. I ain't scared of your papa. It'll be like like old times."

Hashtag and him had both ended up in detention for one reason or another, stuck alongside each other with the teacher. When lunch came though, both were tired of sitting there watching the paint chip away. An illusion of the gymnasium catching on fire and a little bit of power to trigger the fire alarms was more than enough to get the school closed for the week for repairs and none really the wiser.

Figured I'd detail our illegal and awesome stunt. Every kid loves when school is closed.

"Anyone want anything while we're out? I'll grab...The Crawling Eye. Has great lines in it."

One of the -major- themes of the this game seems to be the conditions. Like, they are this games hitpoints. Can everyone be diligent about keeping their conditions in plain view on their stat bar? This...seems like it'll be important going forward?

Imagine casually glides in through a window of the clocktower. Reflexively she scans everyone's mind. While unable to penetrate very deep with such a shallow scan, it's enough to catch up on the recent conversations.

'Hashtag, I'd like to come and assist with the location of the machine-assassin military documentary. If...if that is okay,' she mind-speaks. Then the Outsider pauses, and looks deep into Vick's eyes. 'It's in the grey box, behind the large clock. You put a stack of objects there to cover up your gynecological medical journals.'

Turning to assist with the recovery of the Terminator movie, she stops, as if physically struck. 'Someone is in danger here.... No. That's not right. Some -is- a danger here.'

She stops and turns, touching each person with her gaze.

She stops and stares at Tycho, her alabaster face trying to consume him with her stare. Her lips still are silent, and no further words are detected by anyone else.

She smiles at Tycho.

It's the first time she's shown emotion.

That done, her face returns to that of a passive statue and she flies out the window, following Eldritch and Hastag.

Ghost Dragon creeps through the streets, reaching the base of the clock tower and slipping through a hidden door before climbing to the main area at the top of the tower. What had happened last night still weighed heavy on his mind, the destruction of his block not withstanding. Upon arrival, he sees Wingblade, Tycho, and Deputy Atoms, having just missed Eldritch, Hashtag, and Imagine.

"Hey guys, what's going on? Er...Wingblade, can I talk to you?"

As she usually did when the others gathered and began bantering back and forth, Wingblade had stepped back and simply watched and listened. Stilk unused to group interactions, she found the interplay fascinating and was happy to just be an observer.

That's why Ghost Dragon surprised her when he sought her out.

"Yeah, I guess," she says, her almond-shaped eyes wide. "Here, or somewhere else?"

Hashtag will pat Kenneth on the back, sending him instantaneously through to his house.

Kenneth arrives in the house's attic, somehow safely wedged between a stack of newspapers and three boxes of Halloween decorations. The attic appears cluttered, but you can see three very clearly marked off "X's" in on the floor in electrical tape. Very shortly after, Hashtag appears standing over one of the others, hunched to avoid clipping his head on the rafter above.

So, do you guys not want me to come with you? =( #sad

"Just off a little bit."

Once he and Wingblade have moved off a little bit, he says, "I've been doing a lot of thinking since last night - in particular about what I accidentally did to the Haxor clone. I wasn't even aware I could do that - and I don't want to do it again. I think I've only got two options." Taking a deep breath, he rushes out, "The first is that I give up being a hero. I've liked helping people the way I have, but if I could potentially hurt someone that way, I'd rather not risk it. It would suck to do so, but it's better than the alternative."

Not looking at Wingblade, he says, "The second is that I need to speak with Whipporwill. I need to find out if she knows of any established heroes with phasing abilities. If I continue doing this, I can't rely on what I've learned by fumbling about. I need someone to teach me how to use my powers safely and effectively - without the potential for harming someone else. I know I'm sacrificing the autonomy I've had - and likely some of my non-hero activities, but the training will pay off in the long run if this is going to be what I do."

Finally meeting Wingblade's eyes, he says, "What do you think I should do?"

I'm not 100% sure if this will count as the sacrifice to clear the Guilty condition, but it's all I could come up with.

So, do you guys not want me to come with you? =( #sad

We do! Hashtag just expects you to know how to fly to his place, since you can apparently just pluck anything out of his head. It also gives you an opportunity to interact with Vick's foster family, since you'd have to go through the front door to get into the attic.

Ah! And here I've fallen into your cunning trap! Well played, sir. Well played!

Having gleaned his address from the mind-scan, Imagine makes a bee-line for Zeng house.

On the way, she realizes she knows very little about him.
Well, she knows very little about many things on this planet. But Immersion is one of the best way to learn. And she will evolve and triumph, or die, for her planet.

She lands before the walkway, strides up to the door, and rings the doorbell. She assumes her student's garb of white 3-button polo and snug blue jeans allow her to pass as an Earthling for most. But it's time to put it to the test.

For whoever answers the door, she readies a normal mouth-talk inquiry of, "Salutations. Is the young male known as Vick physically present?"

Indeed. That should do nicely.

Wingblade listens quietly to Ghost Dragon while he speaks. When he finishes, she studies his face with a stoic expression for a moment. Then she furrows her brow and the corners of her mouth turn down. "I guess I could ask her for you. But you know you've got a third option, don't you? You could get over it yourself."

Without waiting for him to respond, she continues. "Okay, so your powers are dangerous. Guess what: everybody's are. Sure, going insubstantial isn't like causing earthquakes or throwing cars around, but congratulations, you can hurt people. Maybe you didn't realize it before, but you know now. So, you could quit, if it scares you that much. You can probably have a normal life like that Foresight guy suggested. Or, you can beg for someone to tell you what to do and how to do it, and maybe lose touch with the family you have that some of us don't have."

She reaches up and puts her hand on his shoulder, noticing how firm his muscles are. "Or you do better next time."

Comfort (Mundane): 2d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3) - 1 + 1 = 7

It was brutal, and maybe she was wrong in confronting Ty that way. But she didn't do cuddly very well. She had been built to be a weapon, made to hurt and kill. She looks at him evenly, her face a mask. There's no judgment in her eyes, just understanding and a willingness to accept whatever decision he makes.

Condition(s): Awkward.

@Imagine: I just noticed that your Comfort/Support roll should actually be 10, because you get a +1 bonus for having Influence over North Star. That lets you either clear a condition of your own or add a Team to the pool. I'm going to assume you're going with latter because you haven't got any conditions marked (Hence the "Team Pool: 2" below).

Atoms greets Ghost Dragon as he comes in. "Hey, man." He wanted to ask how he was doing, but he stops as Ghost Dragon quickly approaches Wingblade and begins talking to her. Seems like everyone was going to her with their problems these days.

It was just Deputy Atoms and North Star now. Ghost Dragon and Wingblade were off to the side, and the rest of the team had left to get a movie from Hashtag's place. Everyone left so fast, it was a little awkward to be just sitting there. So awkward, in-fact, that all Atoms could really do was stare at the floor.

Eldritch's eyes opened as he appeared in the attic, looking around with the feeling that nothing was right, everything was left, and his stomach was upside down.

"I need to try this sometime..." He ponders, looking around for a moment between the boxes. Soon after, Vick enters into the attic already hunched over to avoid the angle of the roof above.

"Thanks for not putting me there, I'm sure that the temptation was near overwhelming." Kenneth says with a small grin, looking around the attic now where Imagine had mentioned it might be. Also to look at these gynecological test results.

By the way, it is completely intentional for Tectonic not having shown up to hang out with you guys by now.

I missed your spoiler to me Imagine. I'll take clear a condition to clear angry, cause I don't really wanna break my stuff.

Tycho will pat Imagine on the shoulder and say "Thanks."

As the deputy and Tycho were left alone, Tycho will say "So, how are things?" in a very obvious attempt to make small talk. "I assume we're not under arrest or anything?"

Vick's foster father answers the door. He's wearing a pair of dress slacks, socks, and a somewhat grubby white undershirt. He's got a slight gut, and has reddened cheeks and nose. Unlike Vick, who's asian, this man is clearly caucasian.

"Vick? What vick?" he asks, scratching his head. His face turns sullen and angry. "Oh. Him."

"I haven't seen the little s!#$ in days. Let me guess, he's got something of yours?" he asks, rolling his eyes. "Come on in. You can look through his stuff. Its the room upstairs on the right."

He lets you in, belching as he picks up his can of beer and points up the stairs. You notice he has an empty gun holster hanging off of a chair in the nearby dining room. Along the walls on the way up the stairs are framed photos of the foster family. The man is dressed in a police uniform, many of the police buddying up with him are officers you recognize.

At the top of the stairs is a hallway with a door at the end and on the right and left. In the center of the ceiling is the trapdoor to the attic.

I can describe his bedroom if you investigate that.

The attic is dark and musty, but a single lightbulb burns, hanging on a wire. As you try to find the disc, Hashtag tilts his head, listening. He groans in frustration.

"Crap. Imagine knocked on the front door! " he whispers. "How did I forget she doesn't get subtle!"

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At first, Wingblade's words hit him like a slap. But then, he thinks about what she's saying. She was created to be a living weapon, Deputy Atoms would literally incinerate anyone who touched him, Eldritch's powers had blinded him last night, Tectonic had been experimented on by her parents, and Tycho apparently had some dark future ahead of him. Yet, here he was, moping because he'd made a mistake with his powers. Wingblade was right. His powers were dangerous, but no more so than anyone else's.

Looking at Wingblade, he smiles. "Thanks. I needed that, and in that delivery, too."

I'm going to clear my condition and "get over it".

She nods once, not smiling, but a tension in her eyes clearly fading. After a moment more where she meets his eyes, her shoulders shrug. "Yeah. Well, it's nothing."

Wingblade starts moving to the kitchen before it gets more awkward. "I think the others will be back soon with a movie or two. I've got some pizza and egg rolls in the freezer," she announces to her guests. "I could warm them up, unless you want to go out and pick up something. There's a couple food trucks that usually park nearby."

*low chuckle* No. She doesn't. ]=-}

Imagine allows herself to be led up the stairs to the attic's entrance. Yes. That would be the location described.
But.
But the socio-political dynamic that has been introduced is too rich in potential data to simply let the opportunity pass by.

As she faces the entrance to the attic, she turns. Gracefully. Almost as if the young girl could defy gravity. The infinite, ageless orbs of her eyes encased in her comely face stare at the man with the weight of endless space.

She begins with the voice-words. "Gratitude unto you for your hospitality and generosity in allowing me into your abode. I...understand that things may be difficult.
...
Since your designation of 'father' has the precursor of 'foster,' may it be understood that Ji-Wan is not your biological offspring?
If so, then it is a noble and dignified sacrifice that you make providing him with shelter and sustenance until such time as he can make his own way in the world.

...Are you a civil enforcement officer?"

She didn't need the encephalitic-skim for this. Such things seemed...apparent.

Kenneth and Hashtag will hear someone goes upstairs, muffled sounds from directly below them, and then the sounds of heavy footsteps as someone goes downstairs again.

No worries everyone, for anyone who has concerns. I'm actually glad you guys are having fun just running off and chatting.

Imagine, Using the Comforting or Supporting Someone move has to meet a certain threshold of emotion. I think this qualifies, so it should be fine, but stated in the rules it also mentions The key is that it supports a meaningful emotional, dramatic exchange so Tycho has to respond in a similar fashion. For this move, we're trying to avoid the "It's fine/okay" kind of thing.

Ghost Dragon, sacrificing your pridefulness or time will work to clear the condition. Normally, its reparations to the afflicted party but this should work fine. But since you and Wingblade played out a great scene, you have indeed gotten over it.

Alright! Great job all! Everyone please finish out your scenes/ find a nice stopping point. Next "issue" is gonna be a split issue so there isn't so much going on, meaning we'll be dividing the teams into two groups.

Since 5 of you attend Halcyon High, I'm going to have to move one person for what I'm planning on doing. Anyway, when you've all mostly wrapped, I'll get the next issue started.

Condition(s):

@Tectonic: Understood!
@Ghost Dragon: I like that you mentioned Atoms' Untouchable Flesh. Props, man.

"Heh." The freshly-cleaned exterior of Atoms' metallic containment suit catches the light as he looks up at North Star. "Unfortunately I'm not actually a deputy. I can make a citizen's arrest, but Citizen Atoms didn't sound as cool."

Deputy Atoms pauses as Wingblade makes her food announcement, a little uncomfortable at what she was saying. She didn't mean anything by it, but it was the little things like eating and going out that reminded Atoms of what he had lost. In-fact, the more he thought about it, the more a movie night in sounded more and more distasteful. Everyone was going to be vegging out around the TV, eating food, resting, and feeling sleepy. Meanwhile, Atoms couldn't do any of those things. Not to mention that Hashtag and the others were bringing back Terminator, a film about an unkillable metal monster in the shape of a human.

He casts an anxious glance towards his communicator. It wouldn't be fully charged for a while yet, but now Atoms was wondering whether he shouldn't just unplug it and leave early. The decision wasn't a hard one. Atoms stood from his seat.

"Well... I guess I'm going to head out." He rose to his full height and moved quickly across the room, taking his communicator back. "Thanks for letting me use your shower again, Shayera. I swear I didn't touch your loofah." His last words suggested a joke but his tone was serious.

This is a self-contained scene that'll show what Tectonic's been doing this entire time.

The door flies off its hinges with a bang, and Tectonic strides into the dingy warehouse, fuming.

It had been fairly easy to find Wingblade's files. Like always, they were hidden in the false bottom of the third drawer on the left of her desk. When she first joined the team, Tectonic had found them while searching for something, anything, about her parents. What they were like before. If they were always evil villains. As predicted, she didn't find anything, but Tectonic did find Wingblade's files.

Fueled by her fury, Tectonic rips apart the floor of the warehouse, and jumps with nary a thought into the underground facility below.

Doctor Automator, as Tectonic found out, was a minor villain with a penchant for making robots. He wasn't anybody major, really. The Paragons had more important threats to worry about generally. But his unintelligent 'bots were the perfect thing for the teenager to take her frustrations out on.

The place is nice and shiny, she had to give him that. All curves and white walls and blue glow. He'd obviously spared no expense. The effect was somewhat spoiled, however, by the numerous blaring alarms and the army of robots rushing into the main room. Cracking her neck, Tectonic goes into full battle-mode. At least she was just wearing an undershirt and some jeans from a Salvation Army.

She casually reaches out and crushes the first robot's head with her fist. "You know," she begins as her kick launches two 'bots into the wall, crushing them. "all I wanted was just a fun night out with my friends." Grabbing two automatons by their gleaming white chestplates, she smashes them together in a useless pile of millions of dollars of scrap as blades and energy bolts alike glance off of her rocky exterior. "Watch a movie. What a novel experience! The popcorn was great, although Ren was kind of an ineffectual villain." Punching straight through a chestplate, she rips out the power core, delicately removes an important-looking bit, and throws it into the crowd. A resounding explosion follows, taking out dozens of the things while Tectonic stays unscathed. She stalks through the smoke and broken shells until she reaches a door, which she kicks down with aplomb. "But no. Some wannabe idiot decides he's got to kill some us. I save people from his antics, and what do I get? Some lady telling me off." A hulking duo of robots, heavily plated and clad with every type of dangerous artillery that someone could bolt onto there, opens fire. Dancing between the missiles, bullets, energy bolts, axes, and streams of fire, Tectonic continues. "I get home, hoping to get some sympathy from River. But she immediately begins telling me off about how I endangered so many people without even knowing what happened!" Grunting, Tectonic geokinetically lifts the pieces of the door and impales the huge robots with them. "...that was therapeutic."

Striding across the corpses of the huge robots, Tectonic finally reaches the final door, and, anger sated, simply opens the door. The bald "Doctor" was frantically typing on some kind of console next to a dozen assembly pods when Tectonic simply ripped off the floor plating, wrenched out a block of stone, and encased him in it, leaving him just enough room to breathe. "You're coming with me, buddy," she says simply, over his pleas and protestations about how it was for the good of all humanity, and levitates him with her as she clambers up through the hole in the floor of the warehouse and outside. Then, calm as can be, she etches a message into the man's rocky prison.

***

When the police arrive, they find a gibbering old man in a rock, next to a discarded burn phone. One one side of the huge block of earth, it simply states, CHECK THE HOLE IN THE WAREHOUSE. On the other side: CALLED THE POLICE FOR YOU.

Kenneth shakes his head, ruffling through the papers and such and finding the movie that Hashtag had been explaining a little while before. As the sounds of footsteps reach the staircase, he stops and freezes for a moment and doesn't move a muscle. Kenneth never talked with Vick's parents before but he had seen them and that told him more than enough about the guy. When the heavy footsteps descend back downstairs, he looks back towards his friend and grins.

"Well, it doesn't seem like she has got herself mixed up in anything. You think you can get her attention? I'd try but...I don't want to mess anything up." Mess anything up was a real easy way of talking about the damage he could do if they couldn't make it. While he let Vick figure out what he was going to do, he'd reach into his pocket and type up a message.

"Hey Nora, we're going to be catching a movie at the Clocktower. Haven't seen you at school or anything either. Let me know if you'll be able to make it." He sent the message off to her, closing his phone with a small frown. "I hope she's alright."