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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8138037" data-attributes="member: 30538">The Slough<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-nnWRS7W/0/fe603833/M/Russell_Glosson_Arrow_0001-M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />For as long as he could remember, Jerry Haskell had been aware that he just didn't feel things in the same way that most children did. And not just in the way that he never really cared what happened to the people around him, except for his mother, for whom , jhe felt some affection, based mostly on the fact that she ensured he never missed any meals. He didn't really experience physical pain, either; he had a sensation of impact, but from the way that the other kids talked about how badly certain things hurt, he compared it to gazing at a light bulb through eyes firmly shut.Thus, despite the fact that he was a fairly unattractive and extremely unathletic boy, he was never subjected to much in the way of bullying from the other kids. Those who tried soon found that it was no fun to try and beat up someone whom they couldn't hurt, especially since they often wound up hurting themselves trying, even though he never tried to fight back. On the other hand, he didn't ever make many friends either, aside from a small gang of kids his own age who lived in the same apartment complex and attended the same school, thus finding themselves stuck together regardless of their wishes. (That said, some of them who were almost as callous as Jerry soon reached the conclusion that it might be best to keep him close, if not closer.)In 1997, Jerry's powers evolved to their next stage. He could now enhance his already great toughness with a field of energy around himself that made him practically invulnerable, and also slowed people around him down. Finally, his friends, who were starting to engage in various forms of larceny, found that they had a reason to hang around with him, as he could ensure that anyone who tried to mess with him ended up moving too slowly to be any threat. However, he was basically just a tag-along on their various crimes, rarely trusted with any tasks beyond the one that his powers facilitated. Of course, being the sort of person that he was, he began to view himself as the group's mastermind and leader, a delusion that his 'friends' were happy to encourage. They called him the Slug, behind his back.After three years of this, the gang was hired to pull a major job in Downtown Miami's Jewelry District, just as the relatively inexperienced Blue Bolt passed through the region. Jerry thus became the first real super-powered villain to square off with the newbie superhero. While he was able to sap the Blue Bolt's speed, the interaction of their respective powers meant that the Bolt wasn't completely halted in his tracks, but able to fight off the attacks of the rest of the gang. But Jerry was invulnerable and he knew it, and told the Blue Bolt that, smugly.The Blue Bolt decided to explain a few concepts to Jerry that he'd missed by sleeping through science class -- namely 'inertia' and 'momentum'. Once the Bolt got away from Jerry, his powers would return. And then he could run far, far away from his opponent, then dash towards him. Sure, Jerry could nullify the Bolt's ability to move so fast, and slow him down -- but could he really be sure that he'd be able to slow him down enough that he wouldn't suffer any injury when the Bolt's body slammed into his own? Unnerved by that thought, Jerry surrendered.He was given a comparatively light jail sentence, as they could only get him on aiding and abetting the other guys, as well as the relatively minor charge of using a non-damaging, non-dominating ability on people. The defense was also able to portray him as having used those powers to protect people who'd gotten caught up in their activities, which he didn't remember doing, but they had videos of people surviving certain death falls around him to back it up. He still got about a year in jail, but the rest of the gang definitely took more.And he didn't even end up serving that sentence, as he was broken out of the transport taking him to jail and taken to meet Jolene, Miami's semi-legendary female criminal mastermind. Actually, he'd met her once before, but had only been a few weeks old, when his mother agreed to go to work for one branch of Jolene's organization. While his mother pleaded with Jerry to give up his life of crime, Jolene flattered him by saying that she saw potential in him that intrigued her. Since it had been a while since he'd had any of his mom's home cooking, he went with Jolene's request, becoming her pupil, occasional toy and operative.She encouraged his mind, helping him to add keen planning skills to his resume. He fought the Blue Bolt several more times in the years that followed, but Jolene discouraged him from wasting energy on unproductive things like grudges. Therefore, he doesn't really view himself as one of the Blue Bolt's nemesis, but as someone who runs into a variety of superheroes, usually while passing through Miami on their way to somewhere else. He found out what his so-called friends had been calling him, and sought to reclaim the name by calling himself 'the Slough', instead, with his motion-dampening field acting like a swamp mess that surrounded him. He also added the ability to use his protective field to encase his fists like a pair of brass knuckles, making him more of a match for the Bolt.In the last few years, the Slough has slowly reached the conclusion that he's gone as far in Jolene's organization as he'll be able to, and that he needs to strike out on his own. So far, he's hesitated to do so out of misplaced concern that Jolene will kill him if he tries. Well, not totally misplaced, she probably will if he manages to annoy her in the process, but she wants to see the next stage in his development as much as he does. He has big plans, only some of which she suspects.The biggest is the idea of making another team of crooks to take over another city like the Combination took over St. Louis. He did a fair amount of go-between work for Jolene and Kingfisher, and believes that he could do just as well, if not better. But which city, and which group of potential ally/pawns? He's still working that out, but things might not go so well in Albuquerque, in the next few years ... The Slough -- PL 11Abilities:STR 1 | STA 4 | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 2 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE -1Powers:Basic Protection Field: Impervious Protection 4 - 8 pointsEnhanced Protection Field: Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support); Linked Sustained Impervious Protection 8; Strength-based Damage 5; Quirk (Hindered while active) - 30 pointsMovement Dampening Field: Linked Burst Area Touch Nullify Movement 11, Broad, Simultaneous, Sustained; Linked Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 11 (Resisted by Will, Overcome by Fortitude; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile), Concentration, Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 99 pointsAdvantages:Benefit 2 (independently wealthy), Extraordinary Effort, Favored Environment (planned situation), Improved DefenseSkills:Close Combat: Unarmed 5 (+7), Deception 8 (+7), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+9), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+8), Insight 4 (+7), Perception 2 (+5), Stealth 6 (+6).Offense:Initiative +0Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 6/1)Movement Dampening Field - (Burst Area Nullify 11 and Will 11)Defense:Dodge 3, Parry 5, Fortitude 6, Toughness 16/8/4, Will 9.Totals:Abilities 20 + Powers 137 + Advantages 5 + Skills 18 + Defenses 14 = 193 pointsComplications:Greed--Motivation. Ambitious. Physical (diminished sense of touch, Disabled on tactile perception checks and some Technology checks.) Temper.</blockquote>

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