Master Po Ping

Teachable Skills

Panda Style Kung Fu: A highly specialized form of Kung Fu based around a strong body, and focused on counter-attacking against failed attack attempts. Would be impossible for a baseline human to perform, as they lack the requisite physical durability.

Inner Peace: A form of meditative trance that allows it's user to perform superhuman physical feats. While this is a component of Chi usage, it is not, in and of itself, a Chi ability. Rather, it allows it's user to perfectly Master the self, making every movement planned, and allowing them to draw their bodies strength and flexibility out to its the absolute limit.

Teachable Powers:

Dragon Warrior: Po often displays an ability to master techniques in days that others would frequently take a liftetime to do the same. Dragon Warrior allows Taylor Hebert to do the same - easily mastering mundane skills mere moments after being exposed to them.

Internal Alchemy: Due to the intense and strenuous nature of the Martial Arts, some Masters learn to convert their internal life energies into other beneficial energy formats, such as Chi. This powers is required in order to Master further Chi abilities, and can be used by Taylor Hebert to convert her Spiritual Power to another output type.

Current Energy: 20

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Brockton General Hospital, Brockton Bay

"Seems like that's everyone in ICU hun. You should head home for the night." The nurse said kindly, handing Amy a steaming hot cup of hot chocolate from the break room dispenser.

"If there's anyone else I don't mind staying." She answered swiftly, maybe too swiftly.

It had been a day since she had encountered that girl - Nexus - and her father, and she had been less than happy over the occurrence. Carol had insisted that she go help the man once the PRT had requested it, apparently having heard the girls sap story from Vicky at some point. It didnt hurt that there shouldn't have been anyone in New Wave unsympathetic to the situation at the time. An unmasked Cape having a family member kidnapped and maimed struck something of a cord with the elder Dallon after all. Amy's own aunt had experienced much the same.

Unfortunately, Amy still had vivid memories of the condition Vicky had been in after her first encounter with Taylor Heberts supposed projection, and, having temporarily forgotten the type of person Carol was, had attempted to refuse to heal such a superficial wound when she could be better spent at the Hospital where new people showed up half dead nearly hourly.

Or that was her given excuse anyway. Truthfully, she just didn't want to heal the man because she didn't like Nexus. In fact, it wouldn't be remiss to say that she felt a certain amount of antipathy towards the girl. Vicky hadn't just been hurt, she had been just this side of pulped, and yet noone seemed to care. Sure, she had healed her - it was the first thing she did in fact - but the damage had existed. The possibility of death had been real. And to top it all off, she had even felt a certain level of righteous indignation on behalf of Nexus, when she had assumed the girl was merely another victim of Line Drive.

So yes she had refused. Carol had insisted. There had been a brief argument.

And now she was doing everything in her power to avoid going home that evening.

"It's pretty quiet tonight dear. I think something's got the locals spooked." The nurse said with a chuckle and a wink.

"...Yeah. I'll just call Vicky." She said flatly, doing her utmost not to betray her frustrations.

This was the other aggravating aspect of things for her. It hadn't even been a few days, but most of the city knew who had taken Lung down, and more importantly, that she was (supposedly) a Hero. There was a certain dark amusement amongst many. No Brocktonite really expected Nexus to drive off the gangs. The more informed among them even had the wherewithal to note the kind of collateral someone like her could leave in her wake. But the idea that, even for a short while, the gangs would get some come uppance, be forced to live in fear of some other Lung tier threat, was somehow gratifying. Shadow Stalker had experienced a surge in popularity for much the same reason. For many a Brocktonite, the saying was merely 'Do Unto Others' without anything else attached.

And Amy had spent the last few days carefully not saying what she really thought on the topic. It was frustrating, especially knowing that Vicky had taken a liking to the girl and had gone to see her at one point. Who was she to vent to? Who would even listen? If Vicky wasn't mad, why was she? Even she could tell how illogical it was.

But she still felt that way.

These were the thoughts that filtered through her mind as she stood on the Hospitals roof, waiting for her sister to come pick her up.

It was the perfect capstone to a perfectly shitty day for her, when, just as her sister landed on the roof next to her, someone else loped across the air to come to a skidding halt by her side.

"Hey Ames! I caught Taylor on the way over and we both wanted to avoid spending hours talking to the PRT so I figured I'd just bring her with me to pick you up." Vicky chirped at her, indicating the other girl with a casual wave.

She was... tall. That was her first impression of her. Tall, and lean, with a whip cord like posture and musculature that made her seem oddly dangerous. Like a coiled viper, waiting to strike at any provocation.

This was a bearing that was, ruined, of course, by her shoddy glasses, torn up sweater, and tightly cinched but baggy sweat pants. It was like looking into a funhouse mirror. This was a Cape with no secret identity. There was no regard for personal image. No posturing, no carefully managed hair or clothes. She looked like she had just come out of a dirty laundry hamper.

She was also, bleeding quite profusely from a slash to her shoulder.

"What were you making out with Hookwolf or something?" Amy said, half in jest, while doing her utmost not to let any venom seep into her tone.

"Sparring with Emmy." She explained flatly. If the girl took offense to the statement it either didnt show, or she didn't care.

"Emmy?" Amy asked automatically shifting into 'work' mode. Most injured people liked to talk. It kept them distracted from being wounded.

"Her Projection, you know, Line Drive? Hey Tay does shampoo work on him by the way? His hairstyle is just... yuck." Vicky chimed in, sticking her tongue out in mock disgust.

"I tried once but at the time he was a lot stronger than me so he just threw me across the room." Taylor explained in a relaxed tone, readjusting her stance to give Amy better access to her wounded shoulder.

"Threw you? Taylor you might be the only person I know who's powers come with domestic abuse." Vicky answers seriously.

"You get used to it. Kind of how I pick up new powers anyway." The dark haired girl answered tiredly.

"A Trump too huh?" Vicky snorts.

Amy began to tune the conversation out as she approached. For someone with a wound that might have required she have her arm amputated she was surprisingly unbothered. Granted, she had no reason to assume Amy wouldn't heal her, and since Vicky was here there was no way Amy could refuse but...

"I got it." A new voice called jovially from directly next to her, causing her to startled and step backwards.

What was standing next to her flabbergasted her.

"It's a Panda." She blurted out incredulously, followed by quickly darting a look towards Vicky to see why she hadn't punted the interloper across the roof yet.

"Oh my God! You said he'd be a different guy but, he's a talking Panda! Taylor you have to join New Wave!" Vicky squealed, running up to the full sized Panda wearing a pair of pants in the middle of the roof hugging the thing like a plush animal.

"Heh. Yeah. I get that alot. Oh, hey one sec!" The... Panda... said, turning to Taylor and laying one of its huge paws across her wounded shoulder. The appendage quickly began to glow, and energy began to suffuse the wound quickly closing it.

"How's that?" The Panda asked almost tenderly, leaning back with Vicky still hanging off its neck.

"Good. And I kind of can't. I'm... actually starting my own team." Taylor said sheepishly, answering Vicky's question and rotating her shoulder gingerly.

Then her eyes lit up and she too jumped on the thing.

"Emmy! You're a talking animal! I love it but please let's not do this again!" She yelled joyously as the, and Amy couldn't stress this enough, full sized bipedal Panda with thumbs, spun her around.

"Nope. I'm a cooool dude now. Beat up bad guys, hang out with ma pals, eat a few dumplings. Mmm... dumplings..." The thing - Emmy she guessed - responded before shaking its head.

"Also I can do this! Boom!" He said dropping onto his back and allowing Taylor and eventually Vicky to bounce on his belly like a trampoline.

"What." Amy finally said, shaking off the sense of disconnection she was getting from watching all of this as a third party.

"Yeah, pretty great right? You want some of this?" The Panda said pleasantly, poking its belly hard enough to cause the entire thing to jiggle.

"No." She stated flatly, stepping slightly away.

That thing, whatever it was, could heal with a touch. She didn't know how close to her own power it was, but in her experience, no Parahuman power was just healing. And there was no way she was going to trust anything that Taylor Friggi Hebert put in front of her. The girl was already way to close to Vicky for Amy's comfort, having landed in a heap with her fellow Brute when the Panda turned towards Amy.

"Aw come on Ames, it's fun!" Vicky laughed, sitting up.

Amy scowled, and resolved to hint to Carol that maybe Vicky should avoid Nexus for a while.

Just until every villain in the city wasn't watching her at least. She doubted that would ever happen.

Nexus hadn't exactly demonstrated a propensity for subtlety so far.