All of us make it, including Miles (from long ago). Tim (The Whisperer), Dave (Black Aria), Chris (Jack Holland), Nick (The Faceless) and Bruce (Sentinel). Miles' character is the Quantum Mechanic. Opinion is unanimous: everyone wants their hour back.
Since last time, there has been another Gargoyle sighting, though this one had no casualties. There has also been a large jewelry heist, in which the security cameras show people being ripped apart by invisible claws. No known super has that combination of powers, so the invididual(s) responsible are still unknown.
When last we met, the group was attacking one of the Cyborg Gang's hideouts in an apartment building. While Black Aria, The Faceless, and The Whisperer come in from above (by flying up to the roof), Jack Holland and Sentinel head in through the front door.
Black Aria links in to the security system in the building to get access to their security cameras. He swiftly gets an image of some kind of armory, wherein eleven normals and two cyborgs are busily strapping on an assortment of unfortunate-looking firepower. He also sees Derrick, who is apparently a black albino, conspicuously not picking up lots of weapons. Even after he passes this along to the other characters, they decide to head down further into the building.
Down on the top floor, Black Aria determines that there is some kind of hidden or armored structure on the floor below. Whisperer does his best to find a way inside by shaping and warping the material of the walls into esoteric shapes.
Meanwhile, Jack and Sentinel investigate the first floor. The first thing they do is pick up a couple of launch pistols left behind by deceased cyborgs. Sentinel picks up a pistol with seven rounds remaining; he faces a -4 unfamiliarity penalty. After that, they check a couple of doors until they find one with the sounds of significant activity behind it. Throwing the door open with the rather optimistic plan of throwing tear gas grenades inside, they are met with automatic fire from three guys. Sentinel follows the "acrobatic-retreating-dodge!" plan, and survives the initial onslaught. Jack instead elects to tough it out, absorbs two bursts of automatic fire, and goes down like a poleaxed steer. Sentinel pulls Jack's body out of the way, while randomly firing off APEX rounds into the room. Chaos ensues, with people shooting holes in walls and whatnot. Through all the confusion, Derrick emerges from the smoke with all the panache of a John Woo hero, effortlessly dodging launch pistol rounds. Sentinel notes that Derrick is extremely quick, maybe twice as fast as anyone normal. He also notes that Derrick possesses some measure of martial arts skills, after Derrick tries to throw him with Judo (twice in one round).
Sentinel engages Derrick in melee. He discovers that Derrick has a Karate skill of about 20, and may have lots of hurtful cinematic skills. He also discovers that Derrick is phenomenally strong, and able to deliver quite a punishing kick to the groin. Even more troubling, it quickly becomes evident that Derrick is able to Absorb kinetic attacks and add the energy to his strength. A couple blows to the vitals later, Sentinel is down for the count.
Meanwhile, Faceless sets to work upon the metal-walled chamber upstairs, which investigation has determined is about a foot thick. He produces a block of C4, which is enough stimulus to persuade The Whisperer and Black Aria to head down towards the gunfire. Faceless joins them after placing his explosives.
The Whisperer arrives at the base of the stairs to find himself in melee with a cyborg. His initial Dehydrate attempt leaves the cyborg with badly-chapped lips, but his armor vest proves capable of filtering out most of the cyborg's return swing. Right behind him, Black Aria is overcome by an attack of scruples and spends a lot of time trying to find a nonviolent way to overcome hostile cyborgs armed with automatic weapons and launch pistols. These scruples are eliminated when a cyborg with a rocket launcher shows up and comes within inches of blowing half of Black Aria into next week. After the explosion, the structural integrity of the building is somewhat questionable.
Committed to ensuring that the group does manage to get at least one captive, Black Aria fires up his rockets and goes crashing into Derrick. This plan is at least partially successful, as he manages to grapple Derrick and then get himself beaten into paste. Then, just when everything starts to look bleak, Black Aria makes a plea to Derrick to give up. Derrick puts his hands up. Black Aria moves in to arrest him, and Derrick kicks him in the groin. Black Aria indignantly steps back and levels the area with a .50-cal machine gun, managing to miss every time. Derrick's rejoinder is yet another pair of system-crushing blows to the groin, flattening him and shutting his system down. Derrick picks up his nonfunctional body and tosses him out of one of the several holes in the building wall.
During all this excitement, Faceless sets off his explosives, revealing a set of living quarters from which an odd, reddish gas leaks. He ventures inside, and spots a strange-looking figure standing behind a table. They exchange a brief burst of gunfire, which Faceless wins. Moments later, Faceless howls out, "We've got dead snakes up here! This guy's got no legs!" Despite his behavior, he does manage to make his Fright Check.
Faceless looks around and determines that there is an advanced (TL9+?) surgery in the next room. Thinking swiftly, he fills a duffel bag with totally random neat stuff, then places an illusion over himself to hide the bag. On his way out, he shoots the incapacitated alien in the head, "just to be sure."
While Faceless is leaving, he notices that most of the equipment in the room is destroying itself in an almost strobe-like pattern. He checks his duffel and determines that the gear inside is all fused and destroyed.
While Derrick has been incapacitating the entire group, The Whisperer has been sneaking around and healing everyone back up. Most everyone is back and conscious to see Jack Holland and the Whisperer use a combination of Psychic Vampirism and Foolishness spells to make Derrick stupid. Derrick drops like a very stupid poleaxed steer.
It develops that the cops managed to arrest about twenty people, some of whom may be gang members. Black Aria calls upon them (and the Island) to bring by something capable of holding Derrick, who still has ST 120+ but IQ 1. Within minutes, an IST VTOL shows up loaded with guys in powered armor. They take control of the situation. One man with a crew cut and a couple of guns in shoulder holsters appears to be in charge; Black Aria thinks he might be Kane. Jack takes his opportunity to warn them about the nonstandard atmosphere in the Kaa environment and the possibly unsafe nature of the building, and gather as much credit as possible.
Soon after the IST shows up on the scene, the superteam Cadre and a raft of newspeople appear. Most of the characters (Faceless being the notable exception) get some media exposure. Whisperer makes quite a spectacle for the camera, generating orbiting rings of flame around himself and a wind to make his trenchcoat flap impressively.
All told, the authorities cart off four cyborgs, Derrick and the (dead) Kaa, whom is identified as the Kaa who had escaped from custody some months ago. Altogether, the characters have killed or incarcerated eight of Raven's thirteen cyborgs.
The Erikson Corporation announces a press conference to publicize Black Aria and (to a lesser extent) the other characters. Prior to the conference, the Quantum Mechanic appears claiming to be "a good guy" and carrying what the security personnel describe as, "an unknown power source" on his back.
The press conference is not necessarily the public relations coup it could have been: the reporters are filled with nosy questions about what Black Aria, the other characters, and the Erikson Corporation are intending to do about the several lawsuits lodged against them in association with the damages their activities have caused. Roger Erikson (Black Aria's alter ego) expertly dodges these questions.
At the end of the conference, the Quantum Mechanic (dressed smartly in a True Value cap and an overall with a wrench and screwdriver prominently hanging on his toolbelt) steps up and requests an opportunity to speak to the other characters. Erikson Corporation representatives arrange for him to show up later.
Diane Simpson of Supertemps approaches Jack Holland and gives him a card, suggesting that the characters really should think about joining the organization.
After the press conference, the characters all head up to a conference room in the Erikson building. This is no ordinary conference room: it features computer terminals, viewscreens and high-tech Space: 1999 table lighting fixtures. Jack Holland comments, "I've read comic books, and this feels suspiciously like a HEADQUARTERS." He then makes a show of looking for the coffee machine.
Black Aria (dressed in much more modest body armor than normal) makes a big speech about forming a group. He offers the use of the conference room and the Erikson Corporation computer system (which is apparently a truly impressive resources). Unsurprisingly, everyone pretty much agrees though nobody has a really good name for the group. Once everyone has agreed, Black Aria removes his mask and reveals that he is actually Michael Erikson. He explains that he was interested in maintaining secrecy due to his… criminal past, apparently primarily in places other than Earth. He is one of the Del Karva. He points out that there are a number of things going on that the characters don't know about. He is one of the "criminal caste" of the Del Karva, and is trying to help Earth defend itself better against the eventual invasion that the Del Karva "warrior caste" is sure to launch sooner or later. He cannot operate more openly due to the agreement Earth signed with the Myrr to not openly use advanced alien technology.
Finally, Erikson brings out the Quantum Mechanic, whom most of the characters saw briefly at the press conference. He is preceded by Alicia, a hologram of a woman generated by Erikson's extremely impressive (and super-tech) computer system. The Quantum Mechanic enters the room on her heels, dressed in overalls, a tool belt, a gas mask, a kevlar vest, and a True Value cap. A staggering assortment of hardware dangles from his clothes. He demonstrates his ability to turn insubstantial (Jack Holland shoots through him), to turn invisible, to teleport, and to increase his (and others' density). Alicia states that the source of the Quantum Mechanic's powers is his backpack. Faceless proves his by stepping next to him and shutting him down with Dampen.
The characters (except for Quantum Mechanic) each gain five experience. Quantum Mechanic gains one experience point. If characters wish to place points towards +1 Reputation: Crimebuster, they may.