Issue Six: Taking AIM

Hero	Maximum Health	Current Damage	Current Health	Popularity	Current Total Karma
Blackbird	84	0	84	27	326
Bubbles (MIA)	86	?	?	4	410
Captain	137	0	137	67	906
EnergyStar	106	23	83	70	848
Jim (MIA)	120	?	?	2	321
Maelstrom	74	0	74	9	280
MantaMan	170	0	170	7	520
Pulsar (MIA)	160	?	?	5	509
Radical Warrior (MIA)	140	30	110	36	830

If you take it relatively easy today, the two of you who are still injured will be fully healed sometime this evening.

You have a Team Karma Pool of 221 Karma.

Those listed as MIA: if any of the players return, PM me and I'll get you up to speed quickly.

Energystar calls a meeting first thing the next morning. Maelstrom, Blackbird, Mantaman and Radical Warrior are told that their attendance is mandatory.

Going into the meeting you are greeted by Bova serving a hearty breakfast. Once breakfast is finished Energystar stands.

"I am calling this meeting to order." She takes a gavel that is laying on the table and hits a small wooden disk also sitting on the table.

"As you all are well aware The Avengers are in very difficult times. The original members are missing, after disappearing under mysterious circumstances. The members of the Buffalo Experimental Franchise were called up to replace those members that disappeared. They had some very new members as well. With the recent events that left the Chairman of the Avengers, Hank Pym as well The Human Torch injured and unable to fulfill their duties as Avengers, Hank Pym has passed the Chairmanship onto myself, Energystar. She gives a glance to Cap. A glance that says, "Isn't that right!?!".

She continues, "As the new Chairman I find that the active membership is not at the level required to ensure the safety of the citizens of NY and this country." She turns to Blackbird, "Blackbird as a hero in good

You are an established hero, and you have a decent popularity. Energystar has heard of him before meeting him. Besides this is a comic book. Those with less connection to the Avengers or superherodom have become members when the need arose.

standing I hereby nominate you for Active Avenger status." She turns to Mantaman, "Mantaman I hereby nominate that you be moved to Active Avenger status from Reserve Status." She turns to Maelstrom, "Maelstrom I nearby nominate you to move from Reserve Avenger status to Active Avenger status." She turns to Radical Warrior, "Radical Warrior I hereby nominate you for Reserve Avenger status." She leans over and whispers to him, "I need you Alex." She continues, "Do those named accept their nomination?"

Cap gives 'Star a curious look.

"Actually, I thougt he was talking to me", Cap responds.

*crickets*

After several silent, awkward seconds, Radical Warrior replies "Oh, girls, you're both pretty and Billy can take you both to the prom."

Cap, sensing that he just created an awkward situation, says "No, that's OK...you go ahead..." to 'Star. Just as she is about to speak again, he adds "...we can talk about it later...", which she responds to by throwing him a sideways glance.

"No, I don't", Rad answers in a loud-enough-for-all-to-hear, mock whisper. ...And my secret identity is Lester."

Turning to look at MantaMan who is seated next to him, Rad adds "'Alex?'...heh...where does she get this stuff?"

Perhaps hoping to save some face, Cap adds "Active members can be added by a two-thirds approval of the current active membership. Since 'current active membership' is now down to 'Star and myself, I can guantee the approval vote for each of you would be unanimous."

Beorn had stopped by the kitchen on the way up, hoping to see Bova settling in. While there he had seen a tray with cups and a carafe of coffee, so he had picked it up on the way by 'for the heroes'.

When Energystar had begun he meeting, Beorn had been sneaking between the rows, topping up everyone's coffee. He had shaved today, and someone had laundered his awful clothes so it wasn't even vaguely disturbing to be served by him for a change.

He stopped dead. "What! ... err. sorry. What!"

The tray of cups and coffee hit the floor with a titanic SMASH!!

Beorn choked and a silence stretched out for several seconds.

"Errm .... okay?"

Suddenly a big smile creased his face and he went crimson.

With the preamble that had brought her up to this point, Blackbird had a fair idea that this was coming. The fact that he'd been allowed to not only hang around for two days but had also been shlepped along here for the night kind of hinted in that general direction.

The man stands, military straight, and faces Energystar and the Captain. "Sir, Ma'am; thank you. I had partly expected a suggestion that I become reserve member of the team - but as a regular member? I hadn't seen that coming."

"I do have a personal life and financial responsibilities to tend to - yet I will have to set these aside. As you note, there are few Avengers around at present."

"And so, I accept." And he salutes.

"Umm whatever dude. Personally I'd stick with Alex." Derek whispered back with a shrug.

Man a full Avenger! Derek thought to himself. It's like the biggest adrenaline rush ever!

"Hey! Room, Board and all the Bad-Guys in the world's Butts to Beat? How can I say No?"

"Excellent", Cap says. "Now we are five." Turning to look directly at Rad, he adds "...although six would have been nice."

Changing topics, he continues. "It seems Radioactive Man's little band of merry pirates also happened to be behind the incidents at Overton Storage and the Key Building last weekend. The good news is, SHEILD has managed to recover the Avengers and Stark equipment that was stolen during those incidents."

"Flag Smasher, Black Fox, and several of the Beetle's old pals from the Sinister Syndicate were also apprehended last night, here in New York, by Daredevil, some of the New Warriors, and some new guy I haven't heard of before called Peregrine. These happened as three seperate events last night while we were...well...otherwise engaged."

GM Note

"One thing I wanted to bring up. That guy Zemo seemed to know more about the abilities of my team-mates then I do. I mean since when can you grow big?" he looked to Beorn. "It also might save time us asking who needs a lift when there is a big rock going to fall on NY. I don't think this is anyone's fault we kinda just got thrown together what with all the Others missing. But its a bit unsettling when the Bad-Guys know more about what we can do then we do. This may be old hat to some of you but with an influx of new team members. I think it is a good idea to give eachother a brief rundown on what we can do." He glanced around the room a bit uncomfortably. Derek was definitely unaccostomed to this type of proactive role. He stood up and cleared his throat.
"I'll start. I can breathe underwater. I can lift a small bus over my head. I am pretty tough. Not bullet proof at all mind you! But I can take a beating and almost never get tired. I also have some control over electricity. Newell called it Electrokinesis. Mostly I just use it to fly. These wings help me steer. It is almost like parasailing only much faster. Something like 200mph?" he sat back down and mumbled "I think that's about it."

Maelstrom sits back down and scratched his chin. "I guess we better talk about it. I'm still not used to this. A couple of weeks ago I thought I was a wanted man. Nobody ever really knew what I could do or who I was. Let's see.

Now, I don't really understand much of what I do, so if it sounds improbable, I'm likely wrong. A while back there ... was ... an accident. You wouldn't have heard of it. It was in ... in Norway. Anyway, I got caught in it sort of. After that I was pretty confused for a while. Don't remember much. I wound up in the U.S. anyway.

I've never really experimented before the Avengers took me in, so I don't all know how everything works. Seems like I can make things come apart - into energy, you know. No, maybe smaller than that. I've been trying to work it out. Anyway, I don't need to think about it too much to make a field around myself that matter just sort of avoids. I call the Aegis. It's a bit pompous, I know. Makes me stronger than I used to be. The matter just kind of moves away when I push it. I'm dizzy all the time now, though. Feel kind of sick, you know?

I can sometimes make myself come apart and reappear in a new place. Before today I always wound up the same when I reappeared. The turning big thing was a shock. A scary one.

Sometimes I can make other things come apart too. Or I can make them appear near me. I can't really control it all that well.

It seems like whatever happened with the accident made some kind of matter/energy vortex around me. Everything is in flux but me. I can't seem to die. Not that I've ever tried! I mean ... it takes a while but I just wind up back how I started if say a bus hits me.

Anyway, that's about it, I guess. Can't fly or anything like that."