Gold Corporation Second Class Recruiting Members

Square_woot. You decide my friend. If you want to bring Chip, then so be it. If you want something else, then that's fine too. Starflier and Mouse both bring up good points.

The first bit is Moxie Girl's in-game bio, the rest a short bit on her recruitment by Max.


On the streets of Perez Park, shortly before nightfall...


"Hey princess! You forgot something!"

Jenny rolled back to her feet, snatching up the Hellion's pistol as she went and whipped the butt end across his jaw. She watched the blood and teeth spray across the hood of a car as he dropped to the asphalt.

"Now where did..." she mused out loud as she glanced around looking for this one's partner. She saw him slipping over the wall, heading deeper into the park. "Gotcha."

She took off at a dead run, vaulting onto the roof of one car, and then over the wall in an impressive acrobatic display, or at least she thought so. The ten or so Hellions waiting for her didn't seem to impressed.

They were starting to pull various weapons and trying to look menacing. She looked at them and smiled sweetly, "So boys, you gonna take me all at once, or take turns."

The biggest of the bunch chuckled and stepped forward. He wasn't laughing after his knee was kicked in and his jaw broken a second later.

"So, who's next?"


Later that night...


Jenny pulled her coat close against the cold wind as she walked towards her townhouse. After that last fight, the walk gave her time to clear her head and calm her nerves.

She crossed the street, casually giving the finger to a driver honking at her, and climbed the steps to the door. As she rummaged in her bag for her keys she heard a car door open and shut on the street behind her.

The reflection in the glass of the door showed her a black limosine, and a single man walking towards her. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and she tensed, ready for a fight.

"Miss, I think you should come with me."

The statement caught her off guard. She'd been expecting an attacker, not some pathetic rich guy looking for a cheap trick. At that, she felt a little offended.

"And I think you should head down to the Redlight district for that sort of thing before I break something the doctor's can't fix." She turned to face him, seeing him for the first time.

Tall, dark, and... old, maybe. It was hard to tell. What wasn't hard to see was that he was built like a tank. The more she observed him, the more doubt grew in her mind about whether she should fight, or run.

He smiled, "Ah, no, I think you misunderstand my intentions. My name is Maximillian Gold. You've heard of me, yes?"

She nodded. Maximillian Gold was a big hitter among the heroes of the city. He led a team of mutant heroes, saving the world as easy as Jenny took down muggers.

"Good. I'm in need of new... talent. The situation in Paragon City is only getting more chaotic, and I'm putting together a new team to help out. I want you on that team Miss Miller."

That stunned her like a bat to the head. It took her a moment to recover and spout the only half-serious objection she could come up with. "You really think I can handle it?"

"Of course. I'm well aware of your parent's enhancements, and your own special abilities." He pulled a Blackberry from his pocket and set it on the bottom step. "I'll call with a time and place. You'll meet the others there. Welcome aboard."

She watched as he walked to the limo and got into the back; staring as it rolled down the street towards the exit to Talos Island. Didn't even wait to hear you say yes, cocky ******* ain't he.

"Why yes, I'd love to join your new team and save the world, and puppies, and help old ladies cross the street. Golly gosh!" She shook her head as she stooped to pick up the phone and slipped it into her bag.

He may have presumed, but he guessed right. There was no way she would say no to that kind of action, or that kind of opportunity. With Gold Corp. resources, she might even be able to find some new leads on her parents.

With one last glance in the direction of the limo, she unlocked her door and headed in as a soft glow began to spread across the horizon.

The recruitment of my character, Tallybird

April 2011
David Kinmount watched the solidly-built gentleman take a seat on the family's couch. He had heard of Maximillian Gold through various circles in Paragon City. The information was mostly glowing, except for one late-night drunken conversation with a sandy fellow in the Pocket D. His sister, sitting quietly in an armchair to the side, would benefit from the training his group could bring.
"Thank you for inviting me into your home." Mr. Gold spoke in a rich, official tone. He sipped his supplied coffee and placed it on the available coaster. " I will start by saying that it is a pleasure to meet you. Your exploits are widely known in Paragon. It is an honor."
Dave blushed slightly, "Yours are as well. You have done well in getting acceptance for our kind in the world."
" You are too kind." Max steepled his fingers in front of him, " Have you considered my offer to help teach your sister?"
"Yes, I have. I have a few questions."
The quiet girl sighed. " Dave, I'm not a child. Please leave. I want to speak to Mr. Gold alone."
Dave started to voice an argument but stopped, turned and left the room.
Max turned to face the young woman, studying her closely. Her eyes hardened as soon as Dave was from sight.
" Mr. Gold. Your surface thoughts are not totally locked up. I will be joining your group...the other group. I will not allow what happened to my friend to happen again." she spoke.
Max raised an eyebrow. Samantha Kinmount was what he heard she was. His agents had done their work well. She would be a powerful asset, if her need for revenge didn't get in the way.
" Yes, Max. I will be but my brother does not find out about it. To him, I will be just learning to use my powers. I will join you in the fall." Samantha dismissed him with an imperious flick of her hand and put her facade back on.
Max rose and joined David in the family's kitchen.
" Thank you for your time. I will have a plane ticket and the official documents couriered up." he said as he offered his hand.
Dave took it and applied a firm handshake. " Thank you, sir. I wish your group was around when I got my abilities."
Max smiled and showed himself out.
Dave looked in on his sister. She sat quietly in the armchair and her head hanging as it has always been since that psychopath killed her best friend and tried to do the same to her. He turned and lefted her to her silence.
Sam tranced his thoughts as he left, then allowed the breath she had been holding to escape. It had taken all she had to fool both Max and her brother but it will be worth it. To Dave, she would be the quiet traumatised sister and to Max, the no-nonsense, vengeful psionic he craved.
In the end, she would get what she wanted...

...to stop psychopaths from hurting her or others again...
...to get...
...Justice.

Kip pushed his chair back from the library table, looked at the Blackberry laying beside his calculus book, and stretched his arms over his head.

“You heading out?” the cute blonde beside him asked.

“Yeah, I’d better get going. I don’t want to keep the others waiting,” he said gathering up the books and notes on the table.

“You sure I can’t come?” the girl inquired, looking up at him as stood.

“Missy, we talked about this…” he replied gently.

“I know, I know… ‘It could be dangerous’,” she said mocking him playfully.

“Well, it could be.”

“You’ll be careful though, right?”

“Of course I will. Besides, this is just a meet-and-greet; we probably won’t even get an assignment today. And, no, that doesn’t mean you can come,” he said laughing as she started to ask the inevitable question.

“Oh, alright. D’you want me to take your books back to your room?”

“That would be great sweetie, thank you,” he said smiling. “And can you tuck a bag of clothes under the roof duct for me like before?”

“Sure.”

The two of them climbed the stairs of the library to the third floor hand-in-hand, and moved a quiet area in the French Lit section. Kip kicked off his sneakers and unbuttoned his blue Oxford shirt, pulling the later over his head as his girlfriend watched appreciatively. Next came his khakis, which he slipped out of, revealing the tight Kevlar leggings beneath.

“Thanks for not humming stripper music this time,” he said as he tucked the clothes into the duffle bag Missy was holding.

“No promises next time,” the petite blonde giggled.

“I’ll call you later, OK?” Kip asked pushing the window up.

“Promise me you’ll be careful, Kip. I have a feeling something bad is going to happen.” Missy pleaded hugging him tightly.

“I’ll be careful hon, I promise. And I’ll call you as soon as we’re done,” he assured her, enveloping her in his lean, strong arms. Planting a kiss on her lips he reluctantly pulled away, continuing, “Now I’d better get going, or I’m gonna miss the train to Galaxy City.”

“OK, I’ll see you soon. I love you,” Missy said, a dreadful feeling in her heart that she was saying that to him for the last time.

“Love you too,” Kip replied as he leapt out the window and up to the ledge above the building in one fluid motion. With a quick wave he was gone and Missy was left alone in the quiet building, clutching his duffle bag to her chest.

Kip dashed down the streets of Steel Canyon at top speed. As he ran by Wentworths, and the Vault Reserve towards the train station, it didn’t even register to him that the people he passed on the streets – civilians and villains alike – were all staring at the sky, their mouths agape.

Kip slipped nimbly through the doors of the train just as they closed. He slid into a seat and tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach. “A superhero,” he thought, “I’m going to be an honest to gosh superhero.”

He was wishing he’d gone to the bathroom back at the library when he felt the first tremor. Wondering what it was, he looked out the window, but didn’t see anything as the train entered the tunnel. As the metro raced through the darkness, Kip felt another tremor, and then another, and another. The lights in the tunnel flickered and threatened to go out as the shaking got more and more violent. The other passengers were beginning to panic.

As the train emerged into the daylight again, Kip couldn’t believe his eyes. Galaxy City was in ruins! Passengers screamed and ducked for cover as the train continued on towards the station. Kip jumped up and ran for the conductor’s compartment.

“Don’t stop!” he screamed at the conductor through the glass, “Keep this train going until you get to Kings Row!”

He hoped this wasn’t happening in Kings Row and other parts of the city as he pulled open the emergency hatch in the ceiling of and leapt to the roof of the speeding car. What he saw was like something out of a Hollywood disaster movie – buildings crushed and toppled, cars crashed and on fire, craters and… bodies… there were dead bodies… everywhere. “Oh, god, Missy. Please be safe,” he thought. Just then another meteor roared overhead and utterly demolished the arena in the distance.

"That's where I was supposed to meet the others," he thought as he jumped off the roof of train car. Kip did a tuck and roll and landed on his feet catlike, and unharmed. He instinctively triggered his camouflage as he looked around and tried to get his bearings. He saw several supers flying toward what must be a rallying point at the shattered city’s center and figured that’s where he’d better go as well.

When he arrived, he looked around for guidance and noticed a couple of costumed figures looking stunned and holding Blackberries identical to the one Max Gold had given him. Remembering his own Blackberry, he typed out a quick message: “am fine. going 2 try 2 help. please call my parents & be safe! love u!”

“Well, here we go,” he thought as he hit send and walked towards the others…

((Hope no one minds that I did a little set up for our first meeting from Kip's PoV.))

(( Loving the stories so far! Here's my contribution. Definitely going with Chip, since the group seems okay with her. ))

Every apartment complex on Mercy Island was filthy, filled with pests, and dangerous, but at least The Flophouse was upfront about it. It was a tiny, dingy little place near the shore of the island, offering shoe box sized rooms for a few dollars a night. A place where the phrase "one year lease" was heard as often as "safe and secure." Some of the windows had newspaper instead of glass. The ones with smarter tenants had bars. And one, near the top of the five story building, didn't have anything at all.

Chip simply didn't care. In her tiny apartment, there was a great deal of water damage on the floor around the window; a result of constant downpours she didn't care enough to mop up after. What furniture she had was rotted and splintered; from a frayed and tattered couch where she did most of her sleeping, to the uneven, lopsided bed she stopped sleeping on when she felt something moving under the mattress. No TV. No books. The only things scattered around the room were a few milk crates she used as chairs, and enough empty whiskey bottles to start a recycling initiative.

Living the dream in the City of Villains.

The door swung open, and a few random roaches scurried out of the way of the heavy boot steps that followed. She walked into her apartment lazily, thumbing through a few pieces of mail picked up from the basket downstairs. Most of it had already been opened and scavenged for money; but it wasn't like there had been cash in any envelopes for years and years. Mostly, the letters she received these days all started the same way.

"We thank you for applying to the Council." Or Crey. Or Nemesis. Hell, even the Freakshow had sent a letter that started the same way, but they used so many numbers in their words she couldn't finish it without getting a headache. "You're not what we're looking for at this time. Perhaps when the War Wolf and Vampyre divisions turn their attention to chocolate bunnies, we'll be in to-"

The large, irritable woman crumpled up the letter and tossed it on the floor; the same place as all the others. A growing pile of bunched up paper was in the corner, a pile she was fairly certain a raccoon was living in. Possibly a family of them.

Despite her lifestyle, Chip appearance was clean, and crisp. She wasn't a particularly tall woman, but with broad shoulders and an ample chest filling out a deep brown leather jacket, she still managed to pull off "intimidating" without being ten feet tall. Heavy work boots, leather biker pants, and a mane of light blonde hair hanging down to her shoulders nearly completed the image. To finish it, a pair of mirrored sunglasses. One looked so much more imposing when people couldn't tell that their eyes were the color of chocolate syrup.

As Chip flipped through the rest of her mail, most of it went flying into random directions. Bill, bill, flyer for Cooke's Electronics in Paragon, second notice, final notice...the woman just sighed and flipped to the final envelope, which seemed a bit different. A fancier envelope that seemed important; it didn't stop it from getting ripped open by a scavenger, but it looked like the contents were still inside. She was just about to flip it out and read it when a noise from the other end of the room drew her attention.

That was when she saw the snake. It said a lot about the status of her home that a full grown, seven foot tall snake person was able to simply...hang out by her windowsill and not be immediately noticed. The blonde watched as the snake rose up to its full height, hissing at her sinisterly as it drew up a ceremonial knife from its person.

"For the will of Ssssstheno!" It slithered forward, expecting an easy prey. Chip glanced once more at the letter, unconcerned about her attacker, and finally set it aside before turning her attention to him. As the snake charged with his blade raised, the woman spun on a heel, rushing forward with a punch. As her fist flew through the air there was a crackle as a layer of deep brown coating covered her hand. It formed a rock-like barrier as her fist connected with the snake's gaping maw, sending shards of chocolate and spittle through the air. This wasn't the first snake to sunbathe in her apartment. Wouldn't be the last. But she could make sure it was the last this week.

A few moments later, and Chip was struggling to scoop up the snake's body and tail, trying to ease it out of the fifth story window. It wasn't worth letting it lay there to stink up the place. Finally she wiggled the thing's bulky torso just right, and as it plummeted down to land with a thud, the woman gave it a small salute with a still-chocolate covered fist.

"Fly away now." She murmured, and turned slowly on a heel. Her deep, slightly-smoke damaged voice continued as she walked back to the kitchen, tone solemn and bored. "Fly, fly, fly."

And from there, her evening continued. a bottle of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes later, and her mind finally drifted back to that letter she had been sent. She read it and made her decision that night, not knowing then that it held the key to turning a frustrated life around.

I've been training for this for what seems like an eternity. I've seen notes on the people Max was going to recruit for his new team. New as in below the radar fix all problems kind of team. For the record, Max can be an ***. He's been at this too long and thinks he knows it all. One thing I do know is that if it wasn't for him, maybe another neighbourhood would have been destroyed because I couldn't control my powers. Because of him, my family would be ruined. I owe him, but he doesn't own me. He asked me to lead this team............man, this will be a challenge. But how could I say no. I knew what I was getting into when he came to my parents house and they recognized him. Seems my Grandfather, and my father both knew Max. They both knew this day was coming, but nobody ever thought to tell me about it. They want me to be a hero. They want me to be a vigilante. They want me to be a cleaner. They want it all. I'll give it to them, but I'll do it my way. I'll do what's best for the team. We may be mutants, but we will maintain our humanity.

Galaxy City is where it all begins. I'm not sure where it will end, but at least it won't end up in a ruined neighbourhood in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. I could never live with myself if I lost control of my powers again.

This is gonna be one hell of a ride.

Hello All,
I'm going to change my power sets to Inv/Hammer. I know.. re-rolling already?!?! Shield.. just... doesn't feel right.

I'll try to get some sort of story on here. I'm really going to try to get into this RP thing. My first time... EVAR! I'm kinda excited!

Thanks all,

Jt

Adam awoke with a start. He tried to jerk his head up but couldn't move. His head was stuck and cold pressed against his temples and jaw.

"Interesting.."

Adam last remembered his squad leader telling him it would be an easy ride and to get some sleep. But his squad was no longer around now. In fact, from the tiled ceiling, to the metal light in his face, Adam didn't think he was even in Iraq anymore.

"Ah you're awake," a voice in the brightness said. Shortly the cold was removed from his head and he looked down at his left arm.

Blood. He pulled his left arm to his face and saw a cut, sutured and healing, but still an obvious rend in his flesh. Adams mouth dropped open and he started to sweat in the chilly room.

"I know," said the voice. "It's been awhile since you've seen your body take damage. I think it would have been.. oh.. 7 years old, maybe 8 when the bruises finally stopped showing up. Am I correct?"

Adam replied, "Yes sir."

Adam tried to check his right arm but it felt distant, but strapped. He looked over but there was a guard around that side of his head.

"Oh no. We can't have you looking their yet. You're not ready! Tell me about when the bruises stopped."

"No sir."

"Oh come now. We've just met, but I know an awful lot about you Mr. Abre-"

"That's not my name, Sir." Adam forcefully interjected.

"I see. Well, you're my new friend," Adam recognized what sounded like a cigarette drag and exhale, "and we're going to be spending much time together. So you might as well tell me when your powers developed. You know, the ones that make you impervious to everything. Or do I have to prove you still have them after your attack."

"Attack sir?" Adam was confused. He remembered his squad leader for that convoy, prepping for it, riding out of the Green Zone, and finally falling asleep the first half mile in. But they were never attacked. LCPL Davies was playing his loud rap music, skinny white boy from Kentucky of course, and the bass woke him briefly once. But they never took fire.

"Ah, see. I told you I know more. So you'll tell me about your powers, and I'll tell you why you've been out of Iraq for 3 months," the cool voice from the light said.

Adam winced trying to look past the surgical light to whomever was speaking. He could smell the cigarette now, and the blood. He could also smell burning plastic, and warm metal. He started getting mad, but hid it inside. Anger had to be hidden till it could be used.

"I was 8 when I got my last bruise. At about 7 I noticed I healed faster. Last cut.. was about 3 months before my 8th birthday. My father threw me down the stairs as I stood in front of my bedroom where my mom was hiding and my head bounced off the banister. Sir."

"Ah good. Thank you Adam." The voice said. The voice, definitely male, drew in a breath but before he could make his voice spread from the light again Adam spoke.

"Please use my rank when addressing me. I'm Sgt Traverse, US Marine Corps." Adam said with conviction.

"Not anymore you're not. You know that not identifying your powers upon enlistment is illegal. The Marines could have you discharged for lying to the government. However, your talents are apparent, as is that murderous rage you're hiding."

Adam looked around, wondering how the person could tell about the ball of anger he was building in his chest at being imprisoned. "I've got you hooked up. I can see your heart rate: elevated, your breathing: elevated, etc, etc. I can tell. You need to calm down. The Marine part of your life is over. In fact, you're lucky you survived it. Some of you didn't actually. Look at your right arm now."

Adam looked down as he felt the barrier move. There was nothing, a stump that stopped a few inches past his shoulder. His mind began to reel, then he felt the knife on his shoulder and could see a arm reaching over from the light. The pain was as he had remembered, but again no cut formed. It was over in less than a second.

"I see you're resistant again. I think, and this is just a hypothesis mind you, that when you are conscious you resist all forms of physical damage. Once you're not, conscious that is, you're just as we humans are: fragile."

Adam sputtered, tears running down the sides of his face as it was beginning to hit him the enormity of the situation, "But, I'm human."

"No," the face circled around the light and came in view for the first time, "you're not human."

It was a old man. Wise, and kind looking. Glasses on the tip of his nose, and a grin. He leaned in close to Adam's ear, "I don't like being mean. They're recording this now so I have to be detached. But understand that I am truly your friend. My boy was a Marine in Vietnam and my grandson served as well. Trust me for this little while and I'll prove it's ok here."

Adam nodded slightly, "Sir, please let me stand up."

"Oh, I'm afraid we can't do that right now," the man said again louder to the left side of room. "But, we're going to fix that arm up with something new. We'll also give you some walking papers, and get you started some place new. But only if you're with us."

"But I don't know who you even are or what you want."

"We're an organization offering you a new squad, in a new city, with a new life. Think of it.. as the new family. A new family you'll actually fit in, and protect without fear of reprisal. But don't take my word for it. There's someone else here to pitch you the details. Just, as I said before, hide that 'murderous rage,' before he decides you're not worth it."

Adam heard a door open...

For a first time EVAR, JT, that was pretty damn good.

The young man was sitting on a second floor railing waiting for the others to arrive. The sun streaming through the skylight was welcome warmth on his scales. He was lost in thought, trying to decide who to start at quarterback on his fantasy football team when the voice snapped him out of his reverie.

“Huh?” he asked.

“I said, ‘do you have a quarter I could borrow?’” the girl repeated. She was plain-looking, but not unattractive, her face freckled and… wind-burned? She wore a formfitting, head-to-toe body suit made out of a shiny silver material. It almost looked like her slender body was encased in liquid metal. On her chest was one of those medical symbols with the snakes and the winged staff.

“Oh, uh yeah… here,” the boy said climbing down off the railing and unwrapping his tail from around it. He unsnapped one of the pouches on his belt and fished out a quarter. Handing it to the girl he felt warmth radiating from her skin.

“ThanksI’llbebackinaflash!” the girl jibbered before disappearing, leaving a barely discernable trail of condensation behind her.

Almost before Lester could form another thought, the girl made good on her promise as she screeched to a halt in front of him, a bottle of sugary soda in each hand. “HereIgotyouoneotoo,” she exclaimed.

“W-what?” Lester asked, unable to understand her rapidfire speech.

“Oh, damn, was I doing it again?” she asked, pronouncing her words more carefully. “Sorry about that, it’s a side effect of my speed powers I’m afraid. Anyway, I’m Madame Mercury, and I said I bought you a pop.” The girl, whose real name was Catherine, but whom everyone called Kitty, held out a 20 oz. bottle of cola.

“Oh, uh… thanks,” Lester said, “but, um… I don’t drink soda.”

“Seriously?” Kitty laughed, “Oh well, more sugar for me.”

“So are you here for the um…” Lester began.

“The Gold Corporation meet-n-greet? Yeah. You?”

“Yeah. I’m Sslither, by the way.”

“Nice ta meet ya, Slither. I guess we’re early,” Kitty said, finishing the first bottle of soda and holding out her hand. As Lester reached out to shake, electricity arced from the girl’s hand giving him a painful shock.

“OhshitSlitherI’msorry! Iforgotaboutthestaticelectricty!” she babbled apologetically.

“Th-that’s OK,” Lester replied as he shook his numb hand, “You’re just lucky my natural defenses didn’t kick in.” To illustrate what he meant, he flexed his muscles and poisonous barbs sprung out of his skin.

“Whew, I’ll say I was lucky!” Kitty replied, her eyes wide.

Just then a shadow passed over them as something flew past the skylight above them. Kitty began to say, “What was…” when a massive explosion in the distance rocked the building, knocking both heroes from their feet.

“…that?” she finished.

“I don’t know!” Lester exclaimed as they heard a roar overhead and another explosion.

Kitty disappeared down the stairs at breakneck speed as a third and forth explosion rocked the Galaxy City Arena causing dust to filter down from the stone roof. “OHMYGODSLITHERCOMELOOKATTHIS!” Kitty exclaimed from the door.

As Lester started down the stairs another impact – the closest one yet – knocked him off his feet and he tumbled down the last dozen steps. He ran to the door to see what was happening and looked out on Armageddon. Huge flaming meteors were raining down all over Galaxy City. Buildings were being smashed and knocked off their foundations, the Freedom Phalanx building was on fire and panicked citizens were running for cover.

“WEHAVETODOSOMETHING!” Kitty yelled.

“Wh-what can we do a-against those?” Lester replied, struggling not to give in to the fear that was threatening to overwhelm him.

“Against the rocks? Prob’ly nothing, but we can help those people.” Kitty said, “We’re heroes, Slither, we have to do something! Here, hold the door open for me.”

Lester held the door open for Kitty as she dashed out into the street and back again, time after time, gathering civilians at superhuman speed, and carefully setting them down inside the massive edifice. After a few minutes, she paused panting.

“Th-that’s all… I could… f-find,” she exclaimed trying to catch her breath.

“That was awesome!” a little boy exclaimed. “Are you superheroes?”

“W-we sure are, little guy,” Kitty replied, “I’m Madame Mercury, and this here’s Slither.”

Lester didn’t feel particularly heroic at the moment, at least not compared to Madame Mercury who risked her life to save the 20 or so people in front of them. He began to wonder if he was cut out for the Gold Corporation after all. “C-c’mon, we’d better find a safe place to huddle down until this is over,” he said, hoping his voice didn’t tremble too badly.

The meteors were still pounding the city as the group walked through the corridors of the Arena. Out of earshot of the civilians, Kitty turned to Lester and whispered, “M-my real name is Kitty. I… I don’t know why I’m telling you, but I just… I felt like I wanted you to know.”

“And my real name is… L-Lester,” Lester whispered hesitantly. “Are you, um… are you scared, Kitty?”

“I’m freakin’ terrified, Les.”

“You sure don’t show it.”

“Well, that’s part of our job ain’t – to be brave, even when we’re sacred out of our minds?” Kitty said, taking Lester’s hand to comfort him.

At last they came to a locked door to the building’s subbasement. “Look,” a man said pointing to a faded blue and yellow sign on the wall beside the door, “This door leads to an old fallout shelter! It must have been built in the ‘60s.”

“Here stand back,” Kitty said. She then shuffled her feet on the carpeting faster than anyone’s eyes could follow, building up a huge charge of static electricity. “Cover your faces!” she implored as she released the bolt of charged electrons into the lock causing it to shatter.

Yanking the door open, Kitty told everyone to stay put while she checked out the shelter. A moment later, she called to Lester to start sending the civilians down. Three quarters of them had climbed down the dark stairs when a nearby impact knocked everyone off their feet. The rest of the civilians raced down the stairs, but just as Lester was about to do the same, he heard a woman cry out for her son.

Lester looked around and saw the little boy sitting among a pile of freshly fallen debris several yards from the door. “C’mon, kiddo, down here. Your mom’s waiting for you.” Lester called, and motioned to the child to come to him.

The boy just sat crying among the rubble as more debris fell from the damaged ceiling. He was paralyzed with fear. Lester knew what he had to do. He left the door and ran to the boy, scooping him up in his arms. Just as he got back to the door he heard a loud crack and looked back to see a massive column toppling towards them.

Shielding the boy with his body, Lester took the impact of the column as he shoved the child through the door into darkness. It was a glancing blow, but it was enough to break his right shoulder blade, right arm and both legs. He was in incredible pain, but at least he wasn’t pinned.

“LesAreyoualright?” Kitty called to him, a tinge of panic now evident in her voice.

“I’ll live,” Lester called back, sounding surprisingly brave, “Stay where you are and I’ll be there in a minute.”

Time seemed to slow down then as the shriek from the sky grew louder and louder. The light filtering through the cracked roof of the building was blocked by the massive hunk of iron as it hurtled towards its target. Lester felt the pressure wave seconds before impact and he smiled. Despite his fear he’d helped Kitty rescue all those people and that meant he’d die a hero. Maybe they’d even make a staute of him…

“LES!!!” Kitty screamed as the building above them exploded, the impact slamming the door shut as the very air outside it caught fire. Sensing her intent, several of the men she’d rescued blocked her way up the stairs.

“Oh, Les,” she sobbed, sinking to her knees.


A moment later and a mile away another young man watched from the top of a speeding train car as the once majestic Galaxy City Arena collapsed into an unrecognizable pile of rubble.

(( This is shaping up to be really fun! Star, is Moxie going with a Shield? I was kinda torn between that and Willpower. ))

"I've got to be out of my damn mind." Chip's voice grumbled, as another cigarette was flicked to the otherwise pristine city streets of Galaxy. Her boot snuffed it out shortly after it landed, and her foot hadn't even stopped rotating on it before she was lighting another. A tiny ember sparked her next smoke, and she took a long, savoring drag to help calm her nerves. Plenty of reason to be nervous. The city was practically crawling with Longbow, Back Alley Brawler was a quarter mile away, and the city was lousy with new heroes looking to cut their teeth. Chip shifted inside her leather jacket, freeing up some room around the shoulders and elbows. Anyone looking at her could tell that she was uncomfortable, like she was standing in someone else's skin.

What if this didn't go over like she thought? She didn't have this guy's money and resources to defend her until she signed up, after all. As she took another drag she dwelled on vaguely imagined scenes; ones where the deal goes sour, and she's nabbed by Longbow on the way back home for some petty heist two years ago. Just her luck.

Her track record didn't speak much for her. A long line of petty crimes, done with a skill that didn't deserve to be wasted on such scores. Convenience store robberies. Carjacking. Beatdowns for the Family. She had the criminal history of a muscle-bound thug that barely had two sparks in his mind to start a fire, when anyone could read the details of the jobs to see the quality with which they were done. They were professional. Elegant. Effecient. From a simple smash and grab to breaking some stoolie’s legs, she went in, did the job, and left nothing more than chocolate fingerprints.

In the Isles, they say there's a six month rule. Within six months of a criminal career, any of the big names would've come recruiting if you were worth your salt. If they didn't show up in that time, you might as well throw in with the Lost for as much difference you'll make in the City of Villains.

Six months. She'd been there for five years. Hell, she did six month clips in such an alcohol induced haze that it felt like ten. So despite the professionalism, despite the skill, despite the experience...she wasn't going to make it. Not as a villain, anyway.

The city was nice and quiet, seemed like a decent place to have this meetup. If this Gold fella was half as well established as she had heard, it could have the potential to turn things around in a big way. She wanted to make a good impression, but that sort of thing was difficult when all you've ever made is bad ones. Rummaging into one of her pockets, Chip pulled free a list of questions, and started to rehearse them aloud as she smoked.

"Thank you for taking an interest in me. Please tell me about your group." It sounded rehearsed and stale, but it was the best she could come up with. "I am looking forward to this op-poor-tune-it-ee." She read the last part slower, thanks to a chocolate smudge on the paper making it difficult to read. Finally she scrolled down to the very end, a list of questions she knew she had to ask. None of them particularly pleasant.

Would he help her with her criminal record? Would they provide a place for her to stay? What about food? What about...what about the booze? Could she get treatment? Chip's fist tightened around the list as she read it, her muscles tensing in frustration as she did so. So many negatives. So few positives. All she knew how to be was a criminal, and she didn't even know how to do it well. Why would anyone deal with so much from a prospective candidate, for so little gain?

"...the hell am I thinking?" Chip finally cursed, and threw the list of questions on the ground, followed by her last cigarette. She turned on a heel, prepared to stomp her way back to the Isles in shame and humiliation. She only stopped when she heard the first explosion, and the noise of people screaming.

The sky was on fire. Was the city under attack? Already Chip could feel her adrenaline pumping, and a bounce to her step. As she looked behind her people were already fleeing, as explosions and fire chased them down the road. Without even thinking about it, the woman raced towards them.

"Go, go, go!" She shouted, her loud voice a perfect accessory to her intimidating stature. She waved a group past her, shouting urgently. "Get to safety! Move!"

In the distance, a family was struggling with their two young children. As the mother and father raced ahead the mother stumbled, and the result led to all four of them gathered close, struggling, trying to regain their feet. Another explosion struck Galaxy, and in the resulting debris, a car flew up into the air. It was making a steady arc for the family, preparing to bring an abrupt end to their life together.

Hero...villain...it didn't matter. Not then, at least. And it damn sure didn't matter if the family would find her powers funny. Just before the car impacted, a woman launched before it, and as she swung at the car with all her might, layers upon layers of chocolate armor appeared over her arms. There was a splintering crack as the two met, and in an instant the car went flying back the way it came, leaving a blonde woman kneeling, exhausted.

"Thank you, thank you!" The father was first to stand up, pulling his family with him. "We're so lucky to have heroes in Parag-"

"Save it." Chip cut him off as she stood, and adjusted the collar of her leather jacket. "Get moving."

As the family ran off, she watched them go, partially to make sure nothing else happened. Then, she turned to the chaos of the city, and took a deep breath. The rest of her new team was in there somewhere. A team of heroes.

"Alright." She said to herself, narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses. A small smirk spread on her lips, the first smile she had worn for years and years. "Hero time."

Forgot this info -

Character Name: Adam Hammer
Inv/Mace (Sledge Hammer) see what I did there?

Jt

EDIT - It's Adam Sledge.. see what I.. (dodges vegetables)

Character "Code" Name: The Ghost in the Grass
Secret Identity: Kipawa "Kip" West
Claws/Super Reflexes Stalker
Global: @mousedroid

Character "Code" Name: Shakeup
Secret Identity: Not disclosed
Earth/Earth dom
Global: @tyrusprime

Wow.. that was fun!

((Agreed. Had a really good time.))


The train pulled to a stop at the Founder's Fall station and the three teammates got off. Jenny, having long since changed into street clothes, led the way with a bag of groceries in each hand. Chip followed with a couple cases of beer, and Adam brought up the rear, loaded down with enough groceries to slow a horse.

She led them across the street, and along a winding route of bridges and walkways, all the while chatting about the evening's work. It was something of a one-sided conversation as the other's tried to keep track of where they were. Eventually, they just gave up.

Coming to a stop outside a row of townhouses she turned to the others, "Well here we are. You guys wait here a minute, I'm just going to... uh, tidy up some... things."

As she headed inside, Chip and Adam looked around. It was a nice neighborhood. Really nice. Not someplace they expected to find someone so young.

Chip looked to Adam who had something of a puzzled look on his face, "Underwear, probably."

The look persisted a moment, before disappearing as he blushed, "Oh... oh! I see."

That was the last of the talking. They didn't wait long before Jenny came back out and waved them to come in. Chip made it just inside the door before stopping to stare.

The house was gorgeous. Hardwood floors, original mouldings, the works. It beat the hell out of her old apartment. "This is 'your' place?"

"Yep. Inherited it from my folks."

Chip relaxed a bit, and finally let Adam in. "Wow, nice digs."

"Thanks. Kitchen's just through there," she said, pointing down the hallway leading off the entrance. "We'll get this stuff put away and I'll give you the grand tour. I hope you like stairs."

(( I had a good time too! My only concern is that at 2 hours every week, the levelling will be slow going. But I guess that makes it manageable for alts. ))

Chip was laying down on the windowsill; stretched out like a cat so that the sun was rolling in right at her. She'd never been in a place with one of those fancy, bench-sized seats right in front of the window, and to have one in the same room she was staying at legally wasn't anything she thought she'd ever be able to claim. The kid's place was pretty swank, she had to admit. It beat an alley somewhere in King's, and it definitely beat her Snake-infested apartment back on Mercy Island.

The woman was relaxing in the early hours of the day after their first assignment. Wearing a white muscle shirt that gripped her strong physique and the same dusty pair of leather pants as yesterday, she still managed to pull off 'imposing' even while relaxing. One foot up on the other side of the bench, the other stretched out and across it. Arms behind her head, and eyes blissfully closed. Nearby a bottle of soda sat half-consumed; it was better for her than the booze, but she had a hard time getting it down. Sobering up would be tricky.

A lot of things would, if she wanted to make good. And temptation was around every corner.

"Yeah?" Chip answered her cell phone; notified of it thanks to a small buzz from the ledge of the windowsill. She flicked her blonde hair against the sun-washed light, and gave a stifled yawn silently before speaking again. "Chip here."

"Hey girl, it's Wally." She recognized the voice instantly. A small town boy from back home, part of the only gang that ever wanted her along: the Goldbrickers. "Word on the street is you got an in to Paragon."

"Word on the street moves quick." Chip observed, still not opening her eyes.

"You interested in making some cash on the side?" Wally offered, dropping all pretense almost instantly. "We have a guy in Independence Port that has some weapons he needs to be bodyguarded while w-"

"No, Wally." Chip said firmly, but patiently. "Not happening."

"Why?" The voice on the other end of the line complained. "You get a taste of a silver spoon, you going all Statesgirl on us? Don't you forget, we helped you out! You come back looking to ring us out, and there'll be tr-"

"Wally, will you shut up for a second?" Chip asked. Wally had always been an impatient idiot. "Not going to go against anyone that's done a kindness for me before. I just want something better. Gold can give me that."

"Yeah, and what if Gold wants him some Goldbrickers?" Wally's question was only met by the sound of sudden laughter.

"Wally. Gold doesn't give a damn about the Goldbrickers, I'm sure. Any group small enough to notice me is too small to be noticed by Gold." She chuckled. "I'm still wondering how I even got involved. There's probably some sugary pop teen superhero out there with the same name, and the whole thing's some big freaking misunderstanding. Stop worrying. You guys are more of a problem for Arachnos than anyone, I'm sure Gold doesn't give a damn about you."

"Yeah, well, okay." Wally finally seemed to be listening to reason, and his tone changed towards more friendly. "How is that crap, anyway? You wearing tights yet?"

"Hardly." Chip responded, and rolled her eyes. "S'going good so far. But nothing makes you feel quite like a washed up failure than being on a team with a bunch of kids. Seem like a nice bunch, but doesn't change the fact I'm more than twice most of their ages."

"What about Gold?"

"Hard to read." Chip responded, simply. "Guys with an idealistic streak and a lot of money tend to waste a lot of it, then forget why. Doesn't seem like an oblivious twit like Manticore, so that's something. So it's a wait and see deal."

"And you're SURE you don't want in on the weapons jo-"

Click. Chip slipped the phone back onto the ledge, and leaned back once more. Yesterday she had seen Galaxy fall apart, had crawled through sewage, and fought gigantic monsters...but it had still been the most rewarding job in a while.

Kip crouched among the reeds and scanned the darkness for witnesses. Satisfied there was no one nearby, he moved to the edge of the rock and slipped silently into the water. His power hid him from most observers, but its effectiveness was diminished in water. Skinny dipping was far from the worst thing that happened in Steel Canyon, but it was still illegal, and it wouldn’t do for a fledgling hero to get arrested for indecent exposure.

After a quick swim, Kip pulled himself back up onto the rock near where his leggings were hidden. Sniffing his fur he winced and wished he had some soap. “It’s going to take me a month to get rid of the sewage smell,” he thought to himself. Still, he was clean enough now to go home and take a proper shower.

Sitting on the rock, allowing his fine, golden-brown hair to air dry, Kip reflected on the evening. He felt proud to be part of a team that was making a difference, but he was troubled by doubts as well. Two teammates had died before he ever met them – sure it was a freak accident – but if he’d left the library ten minutes earlier, it could’ve been him in the arena when it was hit. He thought about Missy and his parents and wondered if the other two… he couldn’t even remember their names now… had friends and family who were waiting for them to come home tonight. He shivered, as much from the thought, as from the breeze on his damp fur. “I guess Mr. Gold will let them know,” he thought.

When he thought of Maximillian Gold, he shivered again. Kip wondered what he meant about their missions being “underground.” It gave him an uneasy feeling, but he resolved to wait and see. If things got bad, or out of control, he could always bail. At least he hoped he could. Suddenly feeling vulnerable, he pulled on his leggings and moved further back into the shadows.

His thoughts turned back to Missy. She’d want to know all about tonight. He wouldn’t lie to her, but he’d certainly have to temper his descriptions of their actions to keep her from freaking out. One thing he knew he couldn’t gloss over was the team make-up. Missy wasn’t a jealous or insecure girl, but concealing the fact that over half the team consisted of attractive females could only come back to bite him in the ***. No, he’d be above board about that at least. Missy was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he wasn’t about to do anything to screw that up.

Standing, he shook the last bit of water out of his fur. He then crouched and used his deceptively strong legs to propel himself to the top of the concrete wall where he very nearly landed in the middle of a group of Tsoo. Fortunately they were too distracted with their bickering to notice him and he quickly darted down the street towards his dorm on the hill behind the university.

Retrieving his duffle bag from the rooftop hiding place where he’d asked Missy to leave it, he slipped into his street clothes and back down over the ledge of the building. He entered from the street like any other student would, and breathed a sign of relieve that the RA was nowhere to be seen. Eschewing the slow, noisy elevator, he ducked into the stairwell and dashed up the six flights to the room he shared with the kid from Cyprus. As quietly as a true ghost he slipped into the room and grabbed some shampoo, a washcloth, and a towel.

After a hot, soapy shower he felt, and smelled, 100% better. He cleaned the hair out of the drain, toweled off and padded back to the room. As he climbed into bed he thought about the others on the team – Shakeup, Talleybird, Moxie Girl, Adam… Adam… Savage (no that wasn’t it…) Adam... Hammer? “Hmmm, have to pay more attention next time,” he thought, continuing to run down the roster… Chip Chocolate, and… Coral... what was her code name…? Something about Innocence…

“I have a feeling none of us will be able to claim innocence much longer,” he thought as he yawned and closed his eyes.

Shakeup, how did the team do tonight?

Well Max, I think the team performed well tonight. You were right when you warned me about Innocence. I'll definitely keep an eye on her. Chip did quite well for someone that was close to falling over the edge in so many ways. As for the rest, they performed well. Aw hell Max, they all did. Each of them has different personalities and skills, and each of them aren't quite sure what they got themselves into.

You gonna be ok son leading this team? Are they gonna be able to do what needs doing?

To be honest Max, I'm not sure I know what I got myself into and I've been with you for three years. It's gonna get dirty, I know it will. That's when we'll be able to separate everyone. When it comes time, when we go to the Rogue Islands, are they going to be able to "finish" the job. Only time will tell.

Gotta go, business meeting.
Allright big boss, you stay cool.

Oh, by the way, I sent you a package. Open it up.

(opens package and smiles) I'm gonna have some of this fine scotch you sent me and make sure Chip doesn't see it.

You sure you know your team?

Yeah, going through the files now. It's an interesting read to say the least..........

Ok son, I'll be in touch.

Can everyone make Wednesday night this week instead of Thursday? I am off Friday from work and have plans for Thursday night. I apologize for the short notice. Let me know if you can make Wednesday. If nobody can, no problem, everyone run without me.

I'm available Wednesday this week.

I'll need to leave at 8:30, but otherwise I can make it for most of it.