<strong>Hero Points:</strong>4 (Lionheart), 2 (Scarab), 2 (Hornet), 1 (H2GO!), 1 (Chlorophyll).<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=318851.msg15426362#msg15426362">Quote from: Autocad on 19-05-2020, 20:38:54</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><br/>"Scarab? Amy's already claimed the bug role though, unless... oh, I get it! You're referring to the Scarab from the Fourth Crusade, fighting against greed and coveting... covetuing... covetousness!" Lyn's friends probably had no idea what she was talking about...</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Amrita ran her hand through her hair. "That<em>does</em>sound familiar, but...I'm surprised you didn't reach back to something more recent, like the 60s."<br/><br/><em>Gain a Hero Point.</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">In the basement of the Eldridge household was a model panorama under construction of a castle under siege, complete with tiny figurines of crusader knights leading the charge. Fortunately Lyn could pretend it was part of Garrett’s Man Cave and so keep her own power level secret... at least for now.<br/><br/>"Help yourself, just don't take the last can of..." Lyn reached into the mini-fridge and pulled out a can of Fanta Grape. "My powers haven't come back since, I'm not sure whether to be sad or relieved about that..." she pulled the tab off with a pop of escaping carbon dioxide and took a long glug. "Hah! So as I was saying... wahhh!"<br/><br/>Lionheart's ears and tail poofed back into existence! She felt her feline ears, stared at the can, and patted her new ears again. "That's one mystery solved, I guess..."<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>Kaitlin blinked. “Oh my you’re so cu-I mean, is it related to what we drink?”<br/><br/>Leslie reached for the grape soda. “Just a sip, I promise!”<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Give her a taste</div><div class="spoiler_body">Leslie took more than a sip.<br/><br/>“Hmmm, not feeling any different…maybe we all have our own abilities.”</div></div><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">It’s mine!</div><div class="spoiler_body">Leslie rolled her eyes. “Keeping it all for yourself, eh? I suppose we can get some at Safeway...oh wait, it’s totally wrecked!”<br/><br/>“Don’t remind me,” Amy responded. “I knew one of the employees there. Gus, a cute guy. I hope he’s okay.”</div></div><br/>Amrita shook her head. “No, I think that in some of us the storm...awoke some of our powers, rather than being the source. But that’s just a theory. As for me...I think that I’m the Scarab, a hero of many eras. This body wasn't the only one I had. Does anyone else here have any past-life memories?”<br/><br/>The girls shook their heads.<br/><br/>“So what now?” Leslie asked. “I mean, you didn’t take an entire projector here for nothing! Actually, why<em>did</em>you take it? All that stuff you could’ve easily texted us!”<br/><br/>“I...errr...we thought it’d look cool?” Amy stuttered.<br/><br/>“Yeah, that’s why!” Amrita added. “I wanted to show you how big things are now, in a way that’d get your attention! You see...whether we like it or not, we’re all part of something greater. And while I’d love it if life could keep going on as it has, we need to be ready for something. That’s why we gotta find out what caused this storm, and in so doing find out what’s going on with us!”<br/><br/>Leslie leaped over to the table. “Oh oh oh, Are you saying that we’re gonna be superheroes?”<br/><br/>“You think we can be?!” Kaitlin exclaimed.<br/><br/>“Not if you don’t want to,” Amrita answered. “But, Emerald City isn’t like Freedom City or Tokyo. It doesn’t have any big teams on stand-by for this type of stuff.”<br/><br/>She walked on over to examine one of Lyn’s knightly figurines. “Those people that caused trouble at the zoo? I feel that they’re not the only ones of their type hit by the Storm, and I don’t know how many of them will be the next Centurion...or the next Overshadow. That’s why we got to protect what we have left.”<br/><br/>Kaitlin hung her head. “I want to forget, but...you have a good point. Even if it’s just to learn how to defend ourselves.”<br/><br/>“Alright!” Leslie exclaimed. “When do we start?”<br/><br/>She dramatically slammed her hand down on the pool table, causing Amrita to fall backwards and some of the balls to bounce up several feet into the air...and they stayed there, floating. Kaitlin made a sound halfway between a squeal and a scream.<br/><br/>“Is everything okay?” Alicia called from upstairs.<br/><br/>“Everything’s fine!” the girls shouted as they wildly grabbed at the floating balls.<br/><br/>Amy let out a noncommittal grunt.<br/><br/>“Amy, wait!” Amrita called out.<br/><br/><em>Roll a DC 20 Persuasion check to convince Amy to stay.</em><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Success</div><div class="spoiler_body">“Ah, sorry. I just need some time to think.”<br/><br/>Her voice stuttered. “Actually…this is all too much. I mean, you all seem to be alright with this. Lyn, you always had such confidence. Lez, I can tell you were excited for it back at the zoo with that...er, victory dance.”<br/><br/>Kaitlin stifled a giggle, causing Leslie to shoot her a stare.<br/><br/>“But I...I’m scared. Last night I could hear the crickets outside. Like they were talking and stuff. Those chirps? They all just wanna get laid, and...that’s not the only thing. When Dad opened the spice cabinet today, I felt like I was going to pass out!”<br/><br/>She collapsed onto the couch. “It’s all so...weird!”<br/><br/>Kaitlin ran over to give her a hug. Amrita did the same thing, placing a hand on her knee.<br/><br/>“It’s gonna be okay, Amy,” Kaitlin consoled.<br/><br/>“We’re gonna get through this together, all of us,” Amrita said.<br/><br/><em>Amy gets a Hero Point.</em></div></div><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Failure</div><div class="spoiler_body">“Sorry, this is enough for one day,” she replied as she headed upstairs, undeterred. “Thanks for the snacks, Mrs. Eldridge. I gotta go now.”<br/><br/>Amrita sighed. “Ugh, I think I overdid it. I gotta...make it up to her somehow.”</div></div><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 24pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: impact;"><strong>Training Montage</strong></span></span><br/>(https://i.imgur.com/1PULQ1V.jpg)</div><br/>The school hours still carried on in spite of the momentous last few days. There was an unspoken assumption that a return to normalcy in some areas of life would be beneficial, but even so Lyn couldn’t help but notice the two empty seats as Ms. Hallowbrooks tried to carry on today’s lesson. Her smartphone vibrated as she received one text, then another.<br/><br/>From Leslie: I know things are awkward between u 2, but Rex is in the hospital. Maybe give him a visit?<br/><br/>From Kaitlin: Sorry got your number from Lez. Rita wanted us to meet up after school. You in?<br/><br/><em>Neither are time-sensitive; you can do both if you want, but will do the montage first unless you have a strong preference.</em><br/><br/>The directions Rita gave to Lyn led to an out of the way warehouse at the city’s Riverfront. Not even this section of town has escaped tourist traps, for even an old fish cannery has been converted into a multi-level shopping mall.  On the way there Lyn passed by hole-in-the-wall bookstores and antique shops competing with more family-friendly entertainment. The less aesthetically-pleasing boats coming to and from port betrayed the district’s roots, and the plain warehouses stood arranged in grid-like rows.<br/><br/>Amrita and the rest of the girls were waiting outside, and the warehouse’s interior had room to spare. The odd forklift and empty shipping containers were the only real features, and a rusty walkway leading to a single-room office that overlooked the hollow expanse. Sounds of ship horns, truck engines, and other noises outside were not constant but frequent enough to be a predictable feature.<br/><br/>“So I was thinking,” Amrita began, “of using this as a sort of training course. The place is noisy enough that anything we do inside here shouldn’t be too obvious, and it’s close to the water for Kate’s powers.”<br/><br/>Kaitlin twiddled her fingers. “I...this warehouse is being rented by my family zaibatsu, so I know when it’ll be empty, hehe.”<br/><br/>“And I got the threads!” Leslie cheered as she rolled out a wardrobe. “If we’re gonna be super, then we gotta look the part!”<br/><br/><em>Montage Time! This part’s pure narration. I suggest a dress-up scene, a mock battle, and strength/endurance/movement tests on empty cargo containers as a few ideas.</em><br/>