<div class="floatleft">(http://www.itsartmag.com/features/itsart/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/duke-V7.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: impact;"><strong>Commander James Manning</strong></span></span><br/><strong>Location:</strong>Staging<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Mecha, Copper Rose, Gauss, Atemi;<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">PL 10 (150)<br/><strong>STRENGTH</strong> 3 <strong>STAMINA</strong> 4 <strong>AGILITY</strong> 5<br/><strong>FIGHTING</strong> 4 <strong>DEXTERITY</strong> 7<br/><strong>INTELLIGENCE</strong> 3 <strong>AWARENESS</strong> 3 <strong>PRESENCE</strong> 3<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Skills:</strong></span><br/><em>Acrobatics</em> 3 (+8)<br/><em>Athletics</em> 7 (+10)<br/><em>Close Combat</em> (Unarmed) 10 (+14)<br/><em>Deception</em> 10 (+13)<br/><em>Expertise</em> (Soldier) 10 (+13)<br/><em>Insight</em> 3 (+6)<br/><em>Intimidation</em> 5 (+8)<br/><em>Investigation</em> 4 (+7)<br/><em>Perception </em>5 (+8)<br/><em>Stealth</em> 2 (+7)<br/><em>Treatment</em> 2 (+5)<br/><em>Vehicles</em> 2 (+9)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Advantages: </strong></span><br/>Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment 8, Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Grab Finesse, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Hold, Jack-of-All-Trades, Last Stand, Leadership, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Set-Up, Ranged Attack 6, Redirect, Takedown<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Equipment:</strong></span><br/>"Load-Out"<br/>"Kevlar Body Armour" Protection 2 (2)<br/>"Automatic Rifle" Blast 7 (Extras: Multiattack) (Inaccurate -1) (20) -- (27)<br/>AE: "Pair of Automatic Pistols" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)<br/>AE: "Standard Rifle" Blast 7 (Feats: Extended Range 2) (16)<br/>AE: "Grenades" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (20)<br/>AE: "Rocket Launcher" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Limited to Five Shots) (Standard Action -2) (16)<br/>AE: "Flare Grenades" Dazzle Visuals 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Diminished Range -1) (11)<br/>AE: "Tear Gas Grenades" Affliction 4 (Dazed &amp; Vision Impaired/Stunned &amp; Disabled/Incapacitated) (Extras: Extra Condition, Ranged) (Diminished Range -1) (11)<br/>AE: "Knife" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Improved Critical) (2)<br/><br/><em>Tech:</em><br/>Camera, CommLink, Audio Recorder, Binoculars, Night Vision Goggles, Flashlight, Gas Mask, Multi-Tool, Rebreather, Cutting Torch (10)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Offense:</strong></span><br/>Unarmed +14 (+3 Damage, DC 18)<br/>Knife +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)<br/>Rifle +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)<br/>Automatic Rifle +13 (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)<br/>Pistol +13 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)<br/>Grenades +7 Area (+7 Ranged Damage, DC 22)<br/>Flash/Tear Gas Grenades +4 Area (+4 Ranged Affliction, DC 14)<br/>Rocket Launcher +9 Area (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)<br/>Initiative +9<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Defenses:</strong></span><br/>Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +4 (Kevlar +6, +7 D.Roll), Fortitude +7, Will +8<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Complications:</strong></span><br/>Responsibility (The United States):  Manning does not require incentives to help his country: he is obliged to lay down his life on the line as a matter of duty.<br/>Responsibility (Legacy): Manning strives to live up to his family's legacy of producing superior fighting men.<br/>Motivation (Proving he is better than super-humans): Manning is always looking to prove that he is better than super-humans.<br/><br/>Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 64--32 / Advantages: 35 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 21 (143)</div></div><br/>The Commander hooted and hollered as the Nightblade was propelled forward by Gauss’s magnetic thrust.   “Goddamn, this is fun!”  he shouted.  But when the Nightblade came to a complete stop, the Commander was a little bit miffed.  He peered down at the city through the bulletproof glass, reclined back, and unbuckled himself.   “I’ll be damned.  This bank’s really close to the base.  Not even three clicks.  An’ this is why we always relate distances in clicks, chillen’!  Cus’ no one can fuck up a click.”  He then tilted his head sideways, considered what he said, thought that there was a joke in there somewhere, but quickly forgot it.<br/><br/>James Manning lowered the helicopter, put it on auto-pilot, and stood up.<br/><br/>“Three things!”  This was accompanied with him signaling “three” with his hands.<br/><br/>“Gauss, that was a neat trick.  Didn’t know you had it in you.  I also don’t know how the fuck you got into the helicopter without me seeing you.  Yer’ like a fucking savant.  Look forward to fightin’ alongside with you.”<br/><br/>He then turned to look at Copper Rose.<br/><br/>“Copper, I’m sorry that the only boy you’ve ever slept with was yer’ stuffed bear.  Honestly, that sounds pretty lame.  I’d offer to sleep wit’ you, but I’m sort of over sleepin’ with super-powered babes.  They’re a bit uppity.  Anyways, look forward to fightin’ alongside with you today, too!”<br/><br/>He then turned to Mecha.<br/><br/>“Mecha, yer’ damned right.  My ass is gonna get chewed for takin’ this Nightblade.  But I’ve gotten chewed out before.  Hell, I’ve spent time in the brig on account of makin’ a fine morsel of myself.  But flyin’ this bad boy’s kind of fun, ain’t it?  I don’t make excuses.  Also, sorry about the bit about yer’ tits.  They’re magnificent.”<br/><br/>The Commander walked along the aisle until he reached, what he termed, the “drop chute.”  He lifted his arm, grasped a handle, pushed a little button, and the floor underneath him opened up, with him falling through it.  Of course, the handle was attached to a reeled deceleration rope, so there was no fear of injury… unless he let go.<br/><br/>Once on the city street, the Commander took out his M-16, turned to look at the bank, and …  sort of wished that he had inquired about radio communications!  Shit, usually his radioman took care of that.  It was weird that so many duties — duties that he took for granted during his time in the service — that fell to others were now falling to him.<br/><br/>“Does everyone have a fucking communicator?”<br/><br/>He then spotted Atemi and waved at her.  It was a commiserating half-salute, as if to say, 'you won't believe what happened while I was getting here.'<br/><br/><strong>OOC:</strong>Initiative Check:<br/><br/>Roll Result: PhantomPistoleer rolled: 1d20, adding 9 to the total<br/>Comment:<br/>Result: 19,<br/>Total: 28;