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The technician -- Jefferson Boone, as he had introduced himself -- grimaced as he took a sip of his coffee. "That is not warm," he lamented, scrunching up his face. Seated across the booth from April, he slid the cup to the side and leaned forward on his elbows. "So, you were... floating?" He scratched his chin. "I suppose if you were somehow able to manipulate your personal electromagnetic field, that would produce an effect not all that dissimilar from lift..."

They had gone to a diner down the street from the Chronicle to talk. When they walked in, April had every intention of playing it coy, but Jefferson already knew something, and besides: if she were being honest with herself, April was dying to talk to someone else about this. So far, the science of it all was a little over her head, but she had managed to follow the gist of Jefferson's babbling. Nodding, she asked, "Okay, well, what about the shower?"

"Oh, that's easy," Jefferson replied, almost dismissively, "Radiation!" Just then, the waitress returned with their order -- or rather, his order, as April had been somewhat less interested in eating right that second. Wasting no time, Jefferson speared some greasy eggs with a fork and shoveled them into his mouth, continuing, "See, when the reactor exploded, you took the brunt of the blast. And the way I figure it, your body soaked up so much of that radiation that you're slowly bleeding it off, y'know?"

April's eyes got big. "Bleeding off" radiation didn't sound like something to be taken so lightly. "So you're saying I can't control it?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip.

Jefferson thought a moment, then gestured his fork in her direction. "Not necessarily! After all, let's look at the evidence," he suggested. Setting down the fork, he started counting off fingers. "When the roof started to cave in, you instinctively protected yourself; and that's when the radiation shield went up! And then this morning, you wanted hot water, and bam! There it was." He picked up the fork again and concluded, "I think you're already controlling it, just... subconsciously."

April considered that. It made some amount of sense, she supposed. After all, she had somehow managed to avoid going Lite-Brite in public; if she could actively suppress it, who's to say that she couldn't also activate it? Reaching across the table, she wrapped a hand around Jefferson's disregarded coffee mug. Furrowing her brow, she concentrated all her energy into thinking about making the coffee hot. Sure enough, after a moment or two, her hand radiated bright green, and the liquid inside the cup began to bubble and boil over.

Jefferson took the mug from her as her hand powered down. Steam rose above the rim. Amused, Jefferson picked up the cup and said, "Thanks," before taking a sip. For her part, April covered her hand and looked around to be sure that no one had seen the light show.

"Hang on," April began, realizing something, "If I'm producing all this radiation, couldn't that be dangerous?" She thought back to Vance saying that the fusion reactor was no more dangerous than an x-ray, but they were clearly past x-ray territory at this point.

Jefferson opened his mouth and let the coffee dribble back into the mug. Wiping his lips, he replied, "Good point. We should really run some tests as soon as possible, for the safety of yourself and others." As he said that, he gave a sideways glance to the cup of coffee and pushed it to the far end of the table. "I think I can get us some private laboratory time after hours. I'm assuming you do want to keep this quiet?"

April nodded. The idea of keeping secrets brought another thought to mind. "Actually, while we're talking, there may be something you can do for me," she explained. She turned to open her purse, fishing out the flash drive from the day before. Surreptitiously, she slid it across the booth. "While I was at Zenith, I was investigating another lead. The files are all encrypted, but do you think you could... ?"

Jefferson smiled. "Are you kidding? You're talking to Century City Prep's former programming club president and one-time anarchist hacker extraordinaire! The school administration never did figure out who rewrote Mr. Takimari's gradebook to give everyone in his class an A." April couldn't help but give an uncertain grin at his stunning display of geek bravado. He picked up the flash drive when a thought occurred. "Wait, what are the odds this gets me in trouble at work?"

"Mid to high, probably," April admitted while digging through her purse. "Listen, I want to get to the bottom of this -- I really do -- but I'm already on thin ice at work, so I need to get back before my boss notices I'm gone," she explained. Finally finding what she was looking for, she produced a business card and handed it to Jefferson. "That has my contact information. As soon as you can get something set up with the lab, let me know, okay?" She gathered her things and shuffled out of the booth.

When the waitress came over to check on Jefferson, he offered her the coffee mug and asked, "Could I trouble you for a new cup? Thank you!"

-----


Later, at McCaffrey's, April brought Daisy up to speed on the day's events... though she saw fit to leave out all the parts involving Jefferson and the strange happenings of that morning. It wasn't like her to keep something from her best friend, but April didn't want to cause a panic; besides, with any luck, Jefferson would devise a way to drain April of the leftover radiation, and that would be the end of it. No need to dwell on the problem any more than absolutely necessary.

"Well, at least you're not fired, right?" Daisy asked with uncertain optimism.

"No," April sighed, "but I have been sentenced to copy editing duties for the foreseeable future." She grimaced at the thought of spending hours poring over other people's writing, trying to find typos and grammatical errors. Mickey had told her that if she was so gung-ho to become a writer, she had better familiarize herself with what good writing looked like. The implied jab at her own failed article hadn't gone unmissed. Sinking her head into her hands, April picked up a bar menu and perused it half-heartedly. "I just want to eat my feelings."

Daisy nodded. "Sounds like I need to order us some nachos?" she suggested, to which April offered a hopeful grin. Daisy smiled back, said, "Hang tight," and shuffled out of the booth.

Once Daisy was gone, April could see into the next booth over, where Luke currently sat. With a ratty wash towel slung over one shoulder, he hunched over a notebook, making frantic scribbles with his pencil. April's curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself rising to go investigate. As she drew nearer, she saw that he was working on a drawing of sorts. He was so focused that April wasn't sure he had heard her approach, so she spoke softly when she asked, "What are you working on?"

Without looking up, Luke gently smiled. "Homework," he laughed. He set down his pencil and picked up an eraser. As he rubbed away the offending mark, he explained, "I've been auditing design classes at UCC in my free time." Having erased the page to his satisfaction, Luke brushed away the shavings and spun the notebook so that April could see. "Have a look."

Adjusting her glasses, April leaned forward to examine the page. There, Luke had drawn a stunningly realistic mockup of an interior space. The most striking feature were the large, wooden beams which framed the ceiling. After a moment, April realized that she recognized the space. "Is this... McCaffrey's?" Sure enough, Luke had completely redesigned the bar's interior, giving it a stylish, rustic feel. Shaking her head in disbelief, April gasped, "This is incredible."

As she turned her head to look at Luke, April realized that this was the closest -- physically -- the two had ever been. Beginning to turn beet red, she quickly looked away and straightened to her full height. For his part, Luke seemed completely unfazed; he turned the notebook back around as he brushed the bangs from his face. Shrugging at his own work, he said, "It's just an exercise. How I would've done it if I built this place."

April smiled at his humility. Furrowing her brow briefly, she asked the next question on her mind. "So, wait, are you a student?" She was sure that Luke was at least a year or two older than she was.

"Not anymore," he answered, leaning back in the booth. He twiddled the pencil between his forefingers as he explained, "I mean, I got an Associate degree a while back, but I had to drop out before finishing the Bachelor's. I always meant to go back and finish, but then..." As he trailed off, he offered a wistful smile. "Well, you know how life can be."

April nodded. Taking another glance at his drawing, she suggested, "I think maybe it's time you got around to it. You've clearly got talent!"

Luke looked less than confident. Tapping the end of his pencil against the paper, he worried his bottom lip. "I don't know," he admitted, "Something tells me that 'college dropout bartender' wouldn't turn heads at the UCC admissions office."

Hearing him put himself down brought a frown to April's face. "Hey, you don't know until you try, right? After all, I shouldn't be the only one around here leaping before I look." He grinned at that, and April returned the gesture. Looking up, she saw Daisy returning to the booth with a veritable mountain of nachos. Daisy gave her a knowing look. "I've got to go help Daisy demolish that plate of nachos, but I want you to promise me that you'll think about it, okay?"

Luke looked her in the eye and thought a moment. "Alright, I'll think about it," he conceded. That made April smile wide. As he turned his attention back to his drawing, she began to walk away. "And April?" His callout made her look back. "Thanks."

She offered a kind look. "Anytime."


April woke up on neither the right nor the wrong side of the bed.

She woke up eighteen inches above the bed.

Startled, she inhaled sharply before plummeting a foot and a half to the mattress below. Her pillows crashed around her head, and she tried to make sense of what just happened. Had she been... floating? She struggled to think of an explanation -- reasonable or otherwise -- which could rationalize the gravity-defying feat. Maybe it had been part of a dream, and she hadn't actually awakened until her landing. Even that didn't ring true, though, because April could remember last night's dreams; they had been filled with explosions and her father's face and that ominous green light...

Get a hold of yourself, April, the voice inside her head chided her. You're just tired and overstressed, and you went through something traumatic yesterday. Your mind is playing tricks on you. It was true that she hadn't gotten much in the way of sleep; she had stayed up late into the night working on an article that could hopefully save her job. She wasn't sure she had succeeded, but at least she wouldn't go back to Mickey empty-handed. Although the thought of facing her boss was far from a comforting one, at least it gave her something new to think about. April sighed and kicked her legs over the side of the bed, already dreading the morning ahead.

Once in the bathroom, April took a moment to inspect her injuries from the day before. She had taken a pretty nasty spill when the fusion reactor exploded, and her body ached all over. Surprisingly, though, her back showed little sign besides some light bruising in a few spots. Elsewhere, there was a small laceration just below her hairline, but even that was already beginning to fade. All told, she had been incredibly lucky to avoid more serious injury. And that didn't even account for the falling debris which inexplicably missed her head...

After counting her blessings, April disrobed and climbed into the shower. No sooner had she turned the faucet than she was blasted by a spray of frigid water. "Shit!" she blurted out, throwing out a hand to slow the freezing onslaught. Damn water heater's out again, she groaned while making a mental note to call her superintendent, Mr. Raimivich. Slumping her forehead against the shower tile, she wondered how this morning could get off to a worse start. Is a little hot water so much to ask?

As April stood there, wallowing in her own misfortune, something peculiar happened. The shower itself began to grow increasingly warmer; although the water coming from the showerhead was still cold, it felt as though she was standing in a sauna. What's more, April had began to glow again. The sheath of neon green energy was coming off her in waves, and the shower water turned to steam upon contact with it. April stared in disbelief at her own hand. Please, God, tell me I didn't suffer a traumatic brain injury yesterday.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she set aside her confusion long enough to finish showering. Once April turned the faucet off, the green energy abated, and the temperature of the bathroom returned to normal. Still, she didn't get out right away, opting to stare at her seemingly ordinary hands instead. She wanted to keep believing that she had imagined what happened after the accident yesterday, that there was a reasonable explanation for all of this, but evidence to the contrary was mounting.

April made it through the rest of her morning routine without further incident. Skipping her traditional coffee shop detour, she made for the Chronicle with urgency. Strange happenings or no, it wouldn't do to be late again when she was already facing an uphill battle. April felt as though every pedestrian she passed was watching her, though she knew that none of them could possibly be aware of what was happening to her. Please don't glow, please don't glow, please don't glow, was April's new mantra.

At the Chronicle, April could tell that the rumor mill had already started. Though whether the whispers had to do with her lying to Mickey or her being present at the accident, she couldn't totally say. April did her best to ignore the distractions as she wasted no time heading for Mickey's office. Her personal belongings hadn't been packed in a box on her desk; that had to be a good sign, right? For the second time in as many days, April gathered her courage and faced her destiny. Giving a quick courtesy knock, she stepped into Mickey's office, where the editor stood looking over photographs from yesterday's hectic scene.

"There she is," Mickey called out, "Nellie Bly herself." He put down the photographs and folded his arms, wearing an almost amused look. Clearly, he was looking forward to April's attempt at an explanation. Not that she believed for one second that there wasn't anger behind that half-smile.

"I know what you're going to say," April began.

Mickey raised an eyebrow. "You do? Well, that's quite a talent for an aspiring reporter to have. Maybe I was wrong to keep you on the bench," he responded dryly.

"I disobeyed you. I know there will be consequences for that," she conceded, "but I've always heard you tell your reporters to be relentless, to follow their gut no matter what anyone else tells them, and to be--"

"Tireless in the pursuit of the story," Mickey finished. "So you can listen to me, just not when it's something you don't want to hear." He gave a mirthless chuckle. "Well, how 'bout it, then? What story have you brought?" He took the article from her hand as she offered it. Furrowing his brow, he skimmed it quickly before declaring, "What does this tell me that I don't already know?"

The question took April aback. "Well, the fusion reactor exploded..."

Mickey rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I know that. Everyone south of Fifth Street knows that." He smacked the back of his hand against the paper. "But why did it explode?"

April had to admit, "I don't know."

"Well, if you don't know, and I don't know, then how is the reader going to know?" Shaking his head, he thrust the article back to her. "You may have listened, but you didn't learn. Being 'tireless in the pursuit of the story' means you don't put a word to paper until you're absolutely sure that you've nailed down every angle. What you've got there? It's nothing. It's not a story. And I don't have use for anything that isn't a story." He sighed deeply, removing his reading glasses. "Go. I'll think of an appropriate punishment for you later."

Crestfallen, April clutched her rejected article to her chest as she shrank out of Mickey's office. Slumping into her desk chair, she set the piece of paper aside and woke her computer. At least you weren't fired, a hopeful voice inside her offered, to which a different voice added, Yet. That left only the mystery of the morning's weirdness to worry about. April would've been a fool to think that the floating and the shower weren't somehow connected to the reactor explosion, or the strange happenings which followed. As her computer screen blinked to life, April bit her lip and pulled up her browser.

Side effects of radiation exposure.

As expected, she found plenty about nausea, dizziness, fever... not so much on flying, glowing, or producing unexplained heat. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, took off her glasses, and rubbed her eyes. Maybe I am losing my mind, she considered. Closing the various tabs she had opened, she shook her head and tried to settle in for work. Not ten minutes later, though, she found herself accosted by Eddie Castro, a junior reporter who had taken an interest in April since her first day. He wasn't doing her growing headache any favors.

Eddie was halfway through a riveting story about a lead he picked up from his city hall informant when he stopped himself. With his head turned towards the bullpen, he snickered, "Check out the tourist."

In spite of herself, April looked up from her work. There, she spotted a young man who looked thoroughly lost. He bumbled through the bullpen, narrowly avoiding more than one collision. Squinting, April tried to figure out why he looked familiar, until she finally recognized him. The lab technician! With wide eyes, April shot out of her chair.

"What, is that an old friend of yours?" Eddie asked doubtfully.

April didn't bother to respond. Moving as quickly as her heels would allow, she slipped around the corner of her desk and made an immediate intercept course. The technician smiled upon seeing her, evidently not taking note of her pale-faced expression. "There you are!" he began, "I wasn't sure I'd find you. Especially not after you ran off yesterday..."

April did not match his familiar demeanor. Clutching his arm, she spun him around and walked him away from Mickey's office. "How did you find me?" she demanded in a low voice.

Giving her a puzzled expression, the technician reached into his jacket and produced a press pass on a broken lanyard. April's hand instinctively went to her neck; in the heat of the moment yesterday, she hadn't noticed that she had lost it. Tucking the pass away, the technician said, "I figured out pretty quick that you weren't Ronald, but this seemed as good as any place to look." He gave a conspiratorial glance around the office. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

By then, she had steered him far enough away from her coworkers to avoid being overheard. "Alright, you found me. Now, what do you want?" She was being perhaps a little too terse, but this guy -- this stranger -- had tracked her to her place of business. She wasn't in the mood to play games.

"What do I want?" he parroted with a chuckle. "I want to talk about what happened yesterday." After a moment, he added, "You know, with the whole..." He flexed his hands in a rhythmic pattern and made a "whompwhompwhomp" sound with his mouth. Reading her expression, his eyes got big. "Oh my God, it happened again, didn't it?"

Now, it was April's turn to steal a glance at the bullpen. "Not here," she warned. She slapped the elevator button behind him. "We need to find somewhere private to talk."


Character you have created: April Newton

Alias: Miss Megaton

Speech Color: ADFF2F | Green Yellow

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Secret

Character Personality: Miss Megaton is a symbol of hope, positivity, and perseverance to the people she protects. She's quick with a smile, and she always looks for the best in others. Although her responsibilities demand a lot of her, she never loses sight of "the little guy," those individuals with whom she may only have a passing interaction but for whom Miss Megaton would sacrifice anything. She's fiercely protective, so when someone threatens innocent life, she can easily turn up the intensity.

As April Newton, she is no less tenacious. Careful never to step too far out of line -- lest she shatter the girl-next-door illusion and inadvertently reveal her identity -- she nevertheless stands up for what she believes in with an unwavering determination. Utilizing the power of the press, she gives voice to those in need of one, and she fights to enact change on a scale far grander than even Miss Megaton can achieve.

Uniform/Costume:

Miss Megaton / April Newton




Origin Info/Details:
Tragedy struck the life of April Newton early, as her father -- Dr. Henry Newton -- perished in a mysterious accident while working for Zenith Dynamics, a mega-conglomerate with a focus on cutting-edge technology. The circumstances surrounding Henry's death were never clearly disclosed, and even young April detected something suspicious afoot. Still, it would be many years before she had the chance to do anything about it, and so life went on.

After graduating with a degree in mixed media journalism, April moved to nearby Century City and procured an internship at the Chronicle, the city's oldest and most respected institution. Parlaying this internship into a full-time executive assistant position, April worked diligently and obediently until the day that a story involving Zenith Dynamics landed on her desk. A disgruntled former employee claimed to have evidence of Zenith's dirty dealings, but the editor, April's boss, declined to move forward with the lead.

April took matters into her own hands.

Infiltrating Zenith under the guise of being a full-fledged reporter, April tried to dig up information that might give her a lead on her father's untimely demise. However, she was promptly caught snooping around and escorted back to the ongoing demonstration of a new cold fusion reactor. There, amongst Zenith's scientists and other members of the press, April's life changed forever. A catastrophic failure inside the reactor caused it to explode, and April was caught squarely in the blast. Her body was bathed in experimental radiation and irrevocably transformed.

Though April tried to go back to business as usual, it was obvious that something had changed. She felt different. Stronger. And periodically, she seemed to produce bursts of radioactive energy. After one of Zenith's lab technicians tracked her down, he deduced what had happened. April had been transformed into a living nuclear reactor, with all the subsequent strengths and dangers. The technician helped April contain her powers, and together they formulated a plan.

April wouldn't just find justice for her father, as she had originally intended. Instead, she would use these newfound powers for the betterment of Century City at large as... Miss Megaton!

Hero Type: Energy - Radiation

Power Level: World Level

Powers: When April became Miss Megaton, she was imbued with the awesome and destructive power of the atom. She is capable of spontaneously generating radioactive emissions which vary in intensity from harmless, concussive bursts to concentrated blasts capable of melting through solid steel. Her ability to manipulate these energies ranges from pinpoint precision to devastating areas of effect. Whenever she encounters a sufficiently powerful source of radiation, she has a limited ability to absorb and redirect this energy.

Moreover, Miss Megaton's exposure affected not only her ability to produce radiation but also to detect it. She is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, granting her the ability to see in the entire visible spectrum as well as x-ray, infrared, and radio waves.

In addition, the raw power coursing through her body grants her many other gifts. She's incredibly strong and far more durable than the average human. She possesses the power of flight, and she can move at exceptional speeds. Overall, she's healthier and more resilient, and she recovers from injury at an increased rate.

Attributes (Select one at each category):
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 125 lb
Strength Level: 100+ Tons
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 80 MPH (flying)
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 3 Hours
Agility: 5x Human Level
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Untrained
Resources: Average

Weaknesses: Though she's incredibly tough, she's not indestructible. She can bruise, and she can bleed, even if it does take a superhuman effort. In spite of her strength, she's more effective at a distance, and she can easily get overwhelmed in melee by an opponent of equivalent -- or greater -- might. Additionally, when she's pushed to her limit, it can exhaust the energy that drives her powers; until it can regenerate, she's entirely human again.

On a psychological level, Miss Megaton's unflagging optimism can be turned against her. She's quick to trust, and her belief in the essential goodness of others can override her good sense when dealing with those who have proven to be unworthy of that trust. Like any good hero, her commitment to protecting the innocent can be used against her.

Supporting Characters:
Daisy Miller: April's best friend since childhood. Their fathers were business partners, so they spent a lot of time around each other growing up. After both men were conscripted by Zenith Dynamics to work on a classified project and subsequently perished in an "industrial accident," April and Daisy grew even closer in their shared grief. They've been inseparable since.


Jefferson Boone: Lab technician at Zenith Dynamics. He was the first person to be saved by Miss Megaton, back during the accident which gave her her powers. Jeff took it upon himself to track down April and volunteer his services as her personal "superhero assistant." He helped April learn to control her powers, and he designed her costume. For which he's very proud.


Michael (Mickey) Holtz: Chief editor at the Chronicle, April's boss. Mickey worked his way up from the newsroom, so he's put more blood, sweat, and tears into the paper than anyone else around... and he's extremely possessive of it as a result. Though he can be overbearing and close-minded at times, he holds himself and others to the highest standard of journalism. Consequently, he cuts April very little slack.


Peyton Campbell: The Chronicle's crackshot photographer with a bit of a rebellious streak. She takes an instant liking to April and aspires to bring her out of her shell. Peyton has a nose for danger, which makes her extremely good at her job but often gets her into a lot of trouble. She faces it all with a smile, much to the consternation of Mickey.


Luke Gardner: Bartender at McCaffrey's, a downtown pub frequented by April & Daisy. April's had a crush on him for a while, but she's yet to work up the courage to ask him out... despite Daisy's constant pestering.


Isaac Vance: The young CEO of Zenith Dynamics who inherited the company after his father's death following a protracted illness. Vance was an unrepentant playboy and socialite before reforming his ways and claiming his birthright. He is the driving force behind Zenith's push for publicity and integration with Century City life.


Sinclair Davis: A mysterious executive at Zenith Dynamics with ties to the deaths of Dr. Newton & Dr. Miller.


Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: I sure hope so.

Post Catalogue:
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Issue #10


The sleek, egg-shaped building which housed Zenith Dynamics spoke to the company's pioneering spirit. Zenith was almost single-handedly responsible for Century City's most groundbreaking advancements: the Mag-Rail, a monorail system which revolutionized the city's mass transit; a fleet of autonomous, electric delivery vehicles which reduced emissions and made the streets safer; and a citywide "Li-Fi" network, which provided universal internet access at speeds greater than traditional Wi-Fi. Yet April was less concerned with Zenith's public deeds than with its secrets -- particularly as they related to the demise of her father, Dr. Henry Newton.

April was only ten years old when her father passed. If she closed her eyes, she could still remember the night of the storm. The thunder and the rain against her bedroom window woke her in the middle of the night. As she tried to go back to sleep, she heard voices downstairs. Angry voices. Creeping out of her bedroom, April snuck over to the banister at the second floor landing. There, she could more clearly hear her father arguing with his partner, Dr. Miller. To this day, she couldn't remember the basis of the argument, only that it involved Zenith. Neither man had been thrilled with their new benefactor, but there had apparently been some disagreement regarding how to handle it. Two weeks later, the accident occurred. April never shook the idea that the argument was somehow related to both men's deaths.

Now, April felt all of ten years old again as she stood before Zenith Dynamics' headquarters. Admittedly, some of that came from the guilt for her disobedience. To explain her absence at work, she had made up an apartment-related emergency and asked one of the other assistants to shadow Mickey for the day. She still didn't have a plan to smooth things over when he found out what she'd done, but she was sure she'd think of something... she hoped. Either way, she couldn't allow herself to worry about that now; she had a far more important mission in front of her first. Straightening her glasses and summoning her courage, April strode towards the building and tried to calm her beating heart.

Stepping into Zenith's lobby was like stepping onto the starship Enterprise. The shiny, white space was punctuated here and there by splashes of green from interior landscaping. A series of wide walkways were arranged around the main plaza like spokes in a wheel, with an artificial stream gurgling in a semicircle beneath them. Everywhere April looked, she saw large holographic displays showing directory information, time and weather, and promotional videos. They certainly know how to market themselves, she noted. She even found herself doubting that a place like this could have a sinister underbelly. Don't forget that looks can be deceiving.

Adjusting her glasses once more, she crossed over the stream and made a beeline for the large, marble desk beneath the Zenith Dynamics logo. There, a grid of neatly-arranged press passes awaited their owners. April smiled briefly at the assistant behind the desk, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. Quickly locating the pass marked for the Chronicle, she snatched it off the desk and blurted out, "Have a great day!" Her hands were shaking as she slipped the pass over her neck, turning it around so that no one could see the name "Ronald Oberlin" clearly printed on its face.

Sheepishly, April made her way over to one of the holographic displays. After prodding at it like a Neanderthal for a moment, she finally figured out how to make it do what she wanted to do. Bringing up the directory, she scanned through the departments until finding the one she wanted. Another gesture brought up a floorplan with the relevant office highlighted in red. Bingo! Swiping the map away, April shrank a little and began heading in the appropriate direction. Fortunately, foot traffic was heavy enough that her presence drew little attention. Avoiding eye contact with the Zenith employees she passed, she caught the door just before it closed and wormed her way inside.

The inner hallways were less grandiose than the lobby, though no less futuristic. April could practically see her own reflection in the polished, white floors. As she walked, she peered through the safety glass at the laboratories beyond, each filled with foreign and expensive-looking equipment. Seeing all the scientists in their protective gear flitting around reminded her of a beehive. Turning down another hallway, she found herself passing executive offices. Unlike the laboratories, these rooms hid their goings-on behind frosted glass. Eventually, she came to the end of the hall, where the door marked "Records" awaited her.

The Records room was essentially a big server farm. For a moment, April thought of the advanced technology in the lobby and worried that she wouldn't be able to interface with any of this. However, the server stacks eventually opened to a clearing; in the center stood a triumvirate of computers. April hurried to one of them, aware that she couldn't afford to dilly-dally. Waking the monitor, she puzzled at the operating system until she brought up a search function. Slowly typing in her father's name, she accessed his personnel file. Dad, she thought wistfully upon seeing his ID picture staring back at her.

Much of the information contained therein was of little consequence. April began to wonder if this whole endeavor had been in vain when she noticed a restricted file. "Project: Gateway?" she spoke aloud in spite of herself. Though she tried to access the information, the computer spit back an error message regarding insufficient permissions. Frowning, April reached into her pocket and produced a flash drive. She wouldn't be able to get answers here, but maybe she could convince one of the Chronicle's IT guys to help her crack the encryption. Assuming I'm allowed back into the building.

Once the download was complete, April unplugged the flash drive and returned it to her pocket. Not wanting to press her luck any further than she already had, she began making her way back to the public areas of the facility. It wouldn't do to get caught snooping now, and besides: Mickey would expect a story on the demonstration, after all. Lost in her wonderings as to the nature of Project: Gateway, April nearly blundered into a collision with a Zenith executive leaving her office. Skittering backwards, April made herself small as she waited for the woman to pass.

Suddenly, April froze. The austere blonde executive was familiar to her, though it took her another moment to realize why. That woman had once been to the Newton home. The memory came flooding back. She had been there along with an older gentleman when April's father had been recruited to work for Zenith Dynamics. Though many years had passed -- the woman couldn't have been older then than April was now -- she carried herself with the same cold, haughty demeanor that April remembered. Once she had gone, April stole a glance at the name etched on the window to her office: SINCLAIR DAVIS.

"Can I help you, miss?"

April's spirit briefly left her body. Spinning to face the direction of the new voice, she found herself staring down an unamused security guard. Heart pounding, April faked a laugh and replied, "Oh, sorry! I was trying to look for the bathroom, and I must've gotten turned around." Inwardly, she cringed at the unoriginality of her "bathroom" excuse.

Judging by the guard's unchanged expression, he wasn't impressed, either. Closing the distance between them, he demanded, "Who are you?"

April fumbled with the press pass around her neck. "I'm, uh, I'm with the Chronicle," she offered, flashing the pass as briefly as she dared, praying he wouldn't request to see it closer. "I'm here for the, uh, demonstration... thing." With each word that left her lips, April hated herself a little more. If there was one thing she wasn't, it was a natural liar. I suppose there are worse things to be bad at.

Evidently, the guard didn't care to press the issue further. "That's in the eastern wing," he explained. "Come with me."

In any other situation, April might've made light small talk. It was the polite thing to do, after all, and she liked talking to people. However, the sleepy-eyed guard didn't seem the loquacious sort, and she worried that the nervousness in her voice would give her away. Meanwhile, the flash drive in April's pocket might as well been made from lead with how heavy it felt in her pocket. She didn't know exactly how much trouble she could get into if she were caught stealing data from Zenith's servers, but she couldn't imagine it'd be a mere slap on the wrist.

Finally, it seemed they had arrived. Approaching two large double doors, April dutifully followed the security guard as he led her into the largest laboratory yet. The enormous octagonal room was abuzz with activity; scientists and technicians circled the peculiar machine at the center of it all, spouting off information about "containment levels" and "ionization readings." Beyond them, April spotted the members of the media, cordoned off at the far side of the room. Wordlessly, the security guard escorted her to the front of the pack. April could feel the other reporters' eyes on her, trying to place her. She held her tongue and took out her phone.

A few minutes later, a handsome young man came swaggering over to the gaggle of reporters. April didn't recognize him at first, if only because she had never seen him outside of pictures. "Ladies and gentleman, my name is Isaac Vance. Thank you for joining us here at Zenith Dynamics for this historic demonstration," the blue-eyed, black-haired CEO began. The younger Vance had only recently taken his place at his father's company following Malcolm Vance's passing. Before that, he had quite the reputation, if what the Chronicle printed in its gossip column could be believed. The reformed playboy had worked wonders on Zenith's public relations.

"Behind me," Vance continued with a dramatic wave of his arm, "is the world's first fully-operational cold fusion reactor." As if anticipating the tense reaction from the crowd, he held up his hands and said, "Have no fear. Unlike the common fission reactors, this machine poses no threat to those in its proximity. The radiation produced is no more harmful than a common x-ray." By then, April was only half paying attention, as she spotted the woman from earlier, Ms. Davis, inspecting the machine behind him. "Now, I'm sure you have many questions, but I ask that you wait until after the demonstration. I'm assured it'll be quite the show." Vance gave a crooked smile and stepped to the side.

April barely managed to pry her eyes off Ms. Davis in time to see the demonstration beginning. At the press of a few buttons, the Zenith technicians lowered the protective shielding around the reactor, exposing a glowing core which bathed the room in an eerie green light. There were mild "ooh"s and "ahh"s behind April, though clearly most were apprehensive about what they were witnessing. The scientists began barking orders, and the room filled with a reverberating hum. The green light inside the machine intensified until April had to cover her eyes with a hand. She heard someone yell, "Initiating electrolysis!" Suddenly, the core sparked as voltage passed through it.

Somewhere across the lab, an alarm began to sound. April hadn't been the only one to hear it; more than one reporter turned in the direction of the sound and began to murmur. Beside them, Vance tried to explain it away as merely precautionary, though he had to raise his voice to be heard over the machine. April could tell by the frantic scuffling of technicians that it was anything but precautionary. "Temperature's spiking," one technician called out, "Coolant's having no effect." April didn't need to understand the science to know that meant trouble.

A scientist in thick, welder goggles came over to Vance. "We're gonna have to shut it down, Mr. Vance. If we let it go, we're risking structural comp--" The scientist was interrupted by a crack. A fissure had appeared at the top of the reactor's core, and strands of green light shot up towards the ceiling. That incited panic.

April was knocked to the floor as the reporters behind her clamored for the exit. The flash drive containing all the Project: Gateway files skittered out of her pocket and across the floor. In the chaos that had ensued, no one paid any attention to the girl crawling along the floor in pursuit of it. Gotcha! April thought triumphantly as she got it back in hand, though the celebration was short-lived; looking up, she saw that she had crawled all the way to the base of the reactor, which now seemed ready to burst. Through the expanding crack in its core, she could see straight into the heart of the machine. The light was searing. Scrambling to her feet, April barely had time to turn her back before a "THOOM!" behind her swept her into the air.

Hazily, April came to a moment later, having been thrown against the nearest wall. Bits of concrete and plaster rolled off her back as she forced herself upright. The laboratory was a disaster; the reactor explosion had leveled everything that wasn't tied down... and many of the things that were. Meanwhile, the reactor itself looked like a shattered Christmas ornament, with green smoke drifting up towards the ceiling. As April surveyed the scene, she saw scientists and technicians scattered like tacks. Nearby, someone was pinned beneath a fallen piece of equipment.

Without hesitation, April rushed to the poor soul's side. He was a technician, and a young one at that. Wincing through the pain, he stammered, "I... I can't move it..." April wasn't surprised. The twisted hunk of metal under which he lay looked to weigh hundreds of pounds. Still, she couldn't just leave him like this. "G-get help..."

She should've, but there was little time and everyone else around was nursing their own wounds. Though it felt hopeless to the point of foolishness, April knelt down and slid her hands beneath the obstruction. Grunting, she lifted with all her might, trying to remember to lift with her legs and not her back. Her hands were slick with sweat, but she swore she felt something moving. Doubling her efforts, she kept on lifting until the debris was over her head. Once the technician was free, she tossed it aside almost effortlessly.

Still wincing as he held his ribs, the technician asked, "How... did you... ?"

Of course, April didn't have an answer. For the moment, she was content to chalk it up to adrenaline. "Stay here," she said, much calmer than she felt, "I'm going to find someone to help the rest of these people." She hadn't taken more than two steps before a crumbling sound stopped her to look up. The damaged ceiling was giving way, and a heavy chunk of concrete plummeted towards her. Covering her head, April braced for the impact that never came. When she finally found the courage to open her eyes, she saw that she was sheathed in an aura of green energy.

The technician, unfortunately, had seen it, too.

"Wait!" he called out, though it was already too late. April had taken off in search of security... paramedics... anyone more qualified to deal with this emergency than she was. She didn't know what any of that was about, and she didn't much care. All that mattered was getting those people help, and then getting herself home... before the day got any stranger.
Is there a timeframe for the end of Season 2? I've got the skeleton of my origin mostly assembled, but I want to be sure I'm on track.
<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Approved. Welcome back EBJ


Good to be back! I needed to stretch my legs, work on a new character & cast.

Century City, California



April had never been a morning person.

As her alarm blared to alert her that 7 AM had arrived, she groaned and rolled over in her bed. Fumbling with the phone on her nightstand, she eventually found the snooze. With a heavy sigh, she blew the strands of golden blonde hair off her face and somehow summoned the strength to get out of bed. Nearly tripping over furniture on her way to the bathroom, she muttered a curse and silently swore to find a bigger apartment. On an assistant's salary, April? she chided herself. Not likely. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shuffled forward until her bare feet touched laminate flooring.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged, freshly showered and feeling a touch more human. She tiptoed across the apartment to her closet and picked out her outfit: a coral-colored blouse with a white pencil skirt. Once her hair was mostly dry, she gathered it into a bun and stuck it with a hairstick for a style which could pass for passable. Retrieving her phone and glasses from the nightstand, she slipped into a pair of black heels and marched out the door, leaving herself more than enough time to make a stop at the coffee shop on the corner for a fresh cup and a danish.

April could've ridden the bus to work, but she actually enjoyed the walk. She had grown up in Edwards Point, a small coastal town up north where everybody knew everybody. By contrast, Century City was this incredible, living tapestry of people! It amazed her that she could walk the same way to work every morning and see new faces each time. And no matter how long she lived in the city, she didn't think she'd ever get over her amazement with the architecture; all these buildings, old and new, each with their own unique flavor, towered over her and gave the impression that the city stretched to the horizon. She longed to explore it all someday.

Eventually, the blocky Century City Chronicle headquarters rose up to meet her. April strode into the marble-covered lobby and past the front desk. "Morning, Stu!" April said cheerfully towards the building's portly, mustachioed security guard. She continued on to the elevator, pressing the button marked '15.' As the elevator hummed its way to her destination, April began to think that maybe this morning wouldn't turn out so bad. Maybe tomorrow, she'd wake up before her alarm and face the day with a smile! Maybe--

"You're late."

Mickey Holtz, chief editor and April's boss, said with a glance towards the elevator as the doors opened. His unexpected presence startled April, and she struggled to stammer a response. As usual, Mickey didn't wait around to hear it; he handed an article back to the layout editor with whom he had been speaking and began marching in the direction of his office. April quickened her pace until she fell into his wake. Finding her voice, she protested, "I am not--"

His back still turned, Mickey pointed at the clock mounted on a pillar in the center of the Chronicle bullpen. It read three minutes past 8.

April's mouth closed, and she adjusted the glasses on her nose. Clearing her throat, she adopted a deferential tone and said, "Well, I left your schedule on your desk before leaving last night. You have a content meeting at 9, there's that interview for the sports editor position at 11:30, and your mother called. Twice."

"Did you take a message?" Mickey asked.

"Yes--"

"Good. Now, tear it up," he interjected. By then, they had arrived at his office. For the office of an executive, it was exceptionally cluttered. Mickey was not a well-organized man on his best day, and he had a habit of collecting "mementos" -- which usually meant useless junk for which he held some strange emotional connection. April had, on multiple occasions, offered to tidy up and been threatened on pain of termination not to do so. It looked disorganized to the untrained eye, but Mickey knew exactly where everything was. "Before I forget, tell Oberlin I want him covering the Zenith thing tomorrow," Mickey added as he crossed the threshold.

April's ears perked up at that. Straightening, she replied, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." Gingerly, she followed Mickey into his office. Biting her lip, she continued, "I was thinking that maybe... I could go instead? I mean, we did talk about how I wanted to get into writing eventually, and this seems like a pretty low-stakes opportunity to try it..."

The "Zenith thing" in question was a demonstration being held at Zenith Dynamics. They were meant to be showing off some kind of experimental generator, and a limited number of press invites had been sent out. The Chronicle, by virtue of their significance and reputation, had been among the invited. Whenever Zenith did anything, it was news. They were the cutting-edge, and their advancements in science and technology had been one of the driving factors in Century City's rise over the last ten to fifteen years.

Of course, April had an ulterior motive for wanting to attend the demonstration. When she was young, her father was an experimental physicist. Zenith approached him one day and offered him a job working on some hush-hush project of theirs. Within the year, Dr. Henry Newton was dead, the victim of a mysterious "accident" for which details were scarce. April knew that Zenith was covering something up regarding her father's death; she simply never had the opportunity to figure out what. Well, getting to attend this press event might just give her the start she needed.

Unfortunately, Mickey's response was an unceremonious, "No." That was usually enough to stifle any further discussion, but April was too emotionally invested to give up that easy.

"Well, what if I just accompanied Oberlin?" she offered. It would be much harder to slip away and get some answers with a reporter in tow, but April was confident she could figure something out.

Mickey looked up from his desk, exasperated. "Is there an echo or something in here? I said no," he concluded with dramatic finality. Shuffling some papers around on his desk, he neither noticed nor cared for April's frustrated expression. Sensing her continued presence, however, he added, "If that will be all, I do have a paper to run." He glanced at her only briefly, though his look conveyed everything which needed to be said about the dismissal.

Pouting, April wandered back out into the bullpen. No sooner had she gotten to her desk outside Mickey's office when she felt someone approach. She turned to see Ronald Oberlin, the reporter in question appointed to handle the Zenith story. Oberlin gave her a polite smile and said, "Mickey mentioned that he wanted to see me about something?"

-----


"I am so going to be fired," April groaned before sinking until her forehead touched the table's wooden surface.

Across the booth from her, Daisy laughed. They sat together at McCaffrey's, their watering hole of choice. Daisy's father and April's father had been business partners, an inseparable scientific tag-team duo. Consequently, Daisy was the closest thing April had to a sister. Like Henry, Dr. Miller had also perished in the Zenith accident, so April knew that Daisy of all people would understand why she had lied to Oberlin, why she had told him that she was taking lead on the Zenith demonstration tomorrow. Daisy raised her glass, gulping down the rest of her beer. "Well, if you end up on the street, you've always got a place with me," she offered.

That did little to ease April's guilty conscience. "Let me buy the next round while I'm still gainfully employed," she groaned. Slumping out of the booth, she grabbed the two empty glasses on the table and shuffled over to the bar. McCaffrey's was sparsely populated -- one of its best selling points -- and so April saddled up to a barstool while she waited on the bartender. She buried her head in her arms and tried to make sense of her temporary insanity.

"I recognize that look," came a familiar voice. April looked up to see the bartender, Luke, approaching. She quickly brushed the hair from her face to look like less of a hot mess. Luke took the empty glasses from in front of her and walked over to the tap. As he started their refills, he cocked his head in April's direction and said, "What's weighing you down?"

"Oh, you know," she began, "Just going to get fired tomorrow. No biggie."

Luke smirked. "If it helps, I could put in a good word for you here, maybe get you a job wiping down tables," he joked. That got a laugh out of her.

"Tempting," she bandied back. By then, he had returned with fresh beers. April accepted them with a smile, though she didn't get up to go back to her booth right away. "Well, it's a safe bet you'll be seeing me tomorrow either way," she mused.

"Looking forward to it," he answered in a tone which brought a flush to her cheeks. Before she would allow him to see her reddening face, April scooped up the beers and waddled back over to the booth. Daisy, meanwhile, wore an expression not unlike the cat who caught the canary.

"Are you ever going to ask that boy out?" she challenged April.

Making a face, April tried to laugh off the suggestion. "What, Luke? No, no... he wouldn't be interested in... I mean, he's just being nice to a regular customer, that's all." Despite her attempt to sound casual, the fluttering in her chest told a different story. "Besides, all bartenders flirt. He doesn't mean anything by it."

"Honey, there's flirting, and there's flirting," Daisy insisted. She took a sip of her beer, then wiped the foam from her lip with the back of her hand. Stealing a glance in the direction of the bar, she smirked and said, "See, he's looking over here right now."

April snapped around so fast that she nearly knocked over her glass. However, Luke was neither looking at them nor even facing in their general direction.

"Gotcha."

April's face turned bright red, and she sank down low enough to hide behind the booth. "I hate you," she muttered.


Character you have created: April Newton

Alias: Miss Megaton

Speech Color: ADFF2F | Green Yellow

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Secret

Character Personality: Miss Megaton is a symbol of hope, positivity, and perseverance to the people she protects. She's quick with a smile, and she always looks for the best in others. Although her responsibilities demand a lot of her, she never loses sight of "the little guy," those individuals with whom she may only have a passing interaction but for whom Miss Megaton would sacrifice anything. She's fiercely protective, so when someone threatens innocent life, she can easily turn up the intensity.

As April Newton, she is no less tenacious. Careful never to step too far out of line -- lest she shatter the girl-next-door illusion and inadvertently reveal her identity -- she nevertheless stands up for what she believes in with an unwavering determination. Utilizing the power of the press, she gives voice to those in need of one, and she fights to enact change on a scale far grander than even Miss Megaton can achieve.

Uniform/Costume:

Miss Megaton / April Newton




Origin Info/Details:
Tragedy struck the life of April Newton early, as her father -- Dr. Henry Newton -- perished in a mysterious accident while working for Zenith Dynamics, a mega-conglomerate with a focus on cutting-edge technology. The circumstances surrounding Henry's death were never clearly disclosed, and even young April detected something suspicious afoot. Still, it would be many years before she had the chance to do anything about it, and so life went on.

After graduating with a degree in mixed media journalism, April moved to nearby Century City and procured an internship at the Chronicle, the city's oldest and most respected institution. Parlaying this internship into a full-time executive assistant position, April worked diligently and obediently until the day that a story involving Zenith Dynamics landed on her desk. A disgruntled former employee claimed to have evidence of Zenith's dirty dealings, but the editor, April's boss, declined to move forward with the lead.

April took matters into her own hands.

Infiltrating Zenith under the guise of being a full-fledged reporter, April tried to dig up information that might give her a lead on her father's untimely demise. However, she was promptly caught snooping around and escorted back to the ongoing demonstration of a new cold fusion reactor. There, amongst Zenith's scientists and other members of the press, April's life changed forever. A catastrophic failure inside the reactor caused it to explode, and April was caught squarely in the blast. Her body was bathed in experimental radiation and irrevocably transformed.

Though April tried to go back to business as usual, it was obvious that something had changed. She felt different. Stronger. And periodically, she seemed to produce bursts of radioactive energy. After one of Zenith's lab technicians tracked her down, he deduced what had happened. April had been transformed into a living nuclear reactor, with all the subsequent strengths and dangers. The technician helped April contain her powers, and together they formulated a plan.

April wouldn't just find justice for her father, as she had originally intended. Instead, she would use these newfound powers for the betterment of Century City at large as... Miss Megaton!

Hero Type: Energy - Radiation

Power Level: World Level

Powers: When April became Miss Megaton, she was imbued with the awesome and destructive power of the atom. She is capable of spontaneously generating radioactive emissions which vary in intensity from harmless, concussive bursts to concentrated blasts capable of melting through solid steel. Her ability to manipulate these energies ranges from pinpoint precision to devastating areas of effect. Whenever she encounters a sufficiently powerful source of radiation, she has a limited ability to absorb and redirect this energy.

Moreover, Miss Megaton's exposure affected not only her ability to produce radiation but also to detect it. She is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, granting her the ability to see in the entire visible spectrum as well as x-ray, infrared, and radio waves.

In addition, the raw power coursing through her body grants her many other gifts. She's incredibly strong and far more durable than the average human. She possesses the power of flight, and she can move at exceptional speeds. Overall, she's healthier and more resilient, and she recovers from injury at an increased rate.

Attributes (Select one at each category):
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 125 lb
Strength Level: 100+ Tons
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 80 MPH (flying)
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 3 Hours
Agility: 5x Human Level
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Untrained
Resources: Average

Weaknesses: Though she's incredibly tough, she's not indestructible. She can bruise, and she can bleed, even if it does take a superhuman effort. In spite of her strength, she's more effective at a distance, and she can easily get overwhelmed in melee by an opponent of equivalent -- or greater -- might. Additionally, when she's pushed to her limit, it can exhaust the energy that drives her powers; until it can regenerate, she's entirely human again.

On a psychological level, Miss Megaton's unflagging optimism can be turned against her. She's quick to trust, and her belief in the essential goodness of others can override her good sense when dealing with those who have proven to be unworthy of that trust. Like any good hero, her commitment to protecting the innocent can be used against her.

Supporting Characters:
Daisy Miller: April's best friend since childhood. Their fathers were business partners, so they spent a lot of time around each other growing up. After both men were conscripted by Zenith Dynamics to work on a classified project and subsequently perished in an "industrial accident," April and Daisy grew even closer in their shared grief. They've been inseparable since.


Jefferson Boone: Lab technician at Zenith Dynamics. He was the first person to be saved by Miss Megaton, back during the accident which gave her her powers. Jeff took it upon himself to track down April and volunteer his services as her personal "superhero assistant." He helped April learn to control her powers, and he designed her costume. For which he's very proud.


Michael (Mickey) Holtz: Chief editor at the Chronicle, April's boss. Mickey worked his way up from the newsroom, so he's put more blood, sweat, and tears into the paper than anyone else around... and he's extremely possessive of it as a result. Though he can be overbearing and close-minded at times, he holds himself and others to the highest standard of journalism. Consequently, he cuts April very little slack.


Peyton Campbell: The Chronicle's crackshot photographer with a bit of a rebellious streak. She takes an instant liking to April and aspires to bring her out of her shell. Peyton has a nose for danger, which makes her extremely good at her job but often gets her into a lot of trouble. She faces it all with a smile, much to the consternation of Mickey.


Luke Gardner: Bartender at McCaffrey's, a downtown pub frequented by April & Daisy. April's had a crush on him for a while, but she's yet to work up the courage to ask him out... despite Daisy's constant pestering.


Sinclair Davis: A mysterious executive at Zenith Dynamics with ties to the deaths of Dr. Newton & Dr. Miller.


Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: I sure hope so.

Sample Post:
It's true. I've been Jeffrey Wright this entire time.
<Snipped quote by Eddie Brock>

Eddie the Watcher is accepted.


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