It's been a day plus, and it doesn't look like many folks are paying attention here. I feel that's a shame; this is a real cool community thing you're doing. C'mon, Virtue. We RP geeks oughta be better than this. =(
So in the hopes of encouraging folks...
You've never heard of me. I know that. Used to be...that would piss me off, yeah? You not knowing who I am and all. These days, I have a little perspective. Age brings wisdom, and all that. There's some folks who age like a fine wine. But me, I'm more like a beer that's been left out too long.
Yeah, I know all about beer. You think this gut grew all by itself? Man's gotta work for a figure like this.
But back in the day, I was one of those guys. You know the kind. Perfect hair, costume so tight it cuts off circulation to vital areas. Yeah, laugh it up. I have the photos to prove it. Magazine covers, newspaper clippings, the whole deal. I was pretty big in my day. I mean fame here, not girth. You heard of Kid Majestic? Yeah, that was me.
And I know the question you wanna ask. What happened? See, it's pretty simple. I made the worst mistake a teen hero can make.
I got old.
Okay, okay. So it's not that simple. Here's the deal. The accident that gave me my powers...well, it had a time limit. An expiration date. As I got older, my powers went poof. Thing is, I wasn't smart enough to get the point. Oh, I knew my powers were going. It was obvious. But I just tried to hide it at first...and that got me into more trouble. All the glory-seeking I did, all the grandstanding...it was fine when I had the powers to back it up. But when that was gone, people used different words for me. Words like reckless. Words like endangerment. Words like liability.
I was through. It just took me a while to admit it. And here's the thing. When the cape was gone...I had nothing. With all the hero stuff taking up my time, I never finished high school. No diploma, no work experience, no career skills, nothing.
I spent the next few years drunk off my stupid @$#.
Then I get this call. From a guy I knew, back in the glory days. Except he'd done what I couldn't. He'd become a proper adult. Now he had a school. He was a principal or headmistress or whatever. And he wanted me.
As the handyman.
He needed a super janitor, a fix-it guy for a super-school, somebody who could fix the toilets, mop the floors...and deal with super-powered kids. He needed someone he could trust, someone who could keep the secret of a school with superhuman students.
I was angry. He thought he was helping me, doing a favour for an old teammate. But he thought janitor was all I was worth, all I could do. Oh, I was angry. But I needed the money, so I ate my pride. I took the job. And...I hated it. I hated the work. And I hated the kids, the damn students. All young, all with powers, reminding me of everything I'd lost. I hated them. I did.
But then things changed. The Rikti came.
I don't know how they knew about the school. But the damn Rikti targeted us, specifically. The ships went overhead, and then wrinkly naked guys were everywhere. Oh, the kids fought. Of course they fought. Right until the first girl caught a blast through her pretty little head, sending bits of smoking brains and bone all over her friends.
They froze. And the Rikti massacred them.
That was it. That was what did it. I couldn't take it. Next thing I knew, I was standing there with one of those big Rikti weapons cutting into me like a cleaver the size of the world. There was blood all over my hands, but I'd stopped the sword. I yelled for the kids to get back in the game, screamed and shouted until they formed up with me.
Then we fought back.
Today, things are a little different. I still work at the school. I'm still the go-to guy for any cleanup or problem. Hey, the showerheads in the gym aren't gonna fix themselves. But I'd like to think my definition of 'cleanup' and 'problem' is...a little bigger.
The kids respect me now. They call me 'mister'.
They're different kids, now. The bunch that survived the Rikti back in '02 have gone on to bigger and better things. You've probably heard of some of 'em. Kitbash, Gecko Girl, Impossibelle...but these new kids, they aren't there yet. They still don't know...they're not invincible. They haven't learnt the cape business is hard. They don't understand that it ain't all fun and glory. Not yet.
I'm no teacher, but I do what I can.
My powers are back. Kind of, anyway. I'm not strong like I used to be, or nearly as tough...but when it really matters, there's just that little spark still left. It's not a lot. But it's enough. I'll tell you this, though. I think I've finally learnt what I should've known all along.
It's not powers that make a hero.
* * *
Name: Mister Fixer
Bio: Once, he was a teen heartthrob superhero. Of course, that was forty years ago. These days, he still spends his time at a school for super-powered teens. But these days he's the handyman, the janitor, the guy who fixes what needs to be fixed. He's not exactly in the best of shape anymore. But there's just that little bit of...something, when and where it counts.
AT: Tanker
Powersets: War Mace (or Battle Axe) / Willpower
@Acyl
VIRTUE
Blue: Realpolitik, Leading Lady, Glass Lass, Superball, Alec Kazam
Red: Battery Acid, Obsolete, Bugfix
First place goes to @Acyl. Excellent job and thank you all for playing.
Hello friends. I have come to the forums today to announce that I will be running a small contest here on the boards.
You will create a bio/costume for best representation of this picture.
You must include the following things:
PRIZES
First Place- 8 million influence
Second Place- 5 million influence
Third place- 3 million influence
The due date is May 21, 2011
Thanks for participating.