[X] Plan Bii
[X]Prune them neatly: Treating the crystal like a proper plant will net you +50 Esoterics a day but growth will be slower.
-[X] Buy a book on the practice of Bonsai.
[X]Acquire more resources
-[X]Spend $300 for 20 units of Chemicals, 200 units of Scrap and Electronic Parts
[X]Start work on a modest power armor meant to protect your squishy body.
You remember Mom giving you some gardening tools in case you ever decide to take care of plants. You never used them and as you rummage in a closet for them, you find that you never used them to the point that they're still in their original packaging. Unpacking them, you bring them back down stairs and give the crystal a quick pruning to slow the growth. You may not garden, but Mom made it clear that you knew how, just in case.
+50 Esoterics
With the crystal's growth now visibly slowing, you place it somewhere it can get some light and act as a conversation piece before placing your prunings with the rest in the crate you brought the crystal in, before grabbing your keys again and heading out to the local Junkyard and Recycling Centre.
-$300
Being a local celebrity has it's advantages, as is having a spotless criminal record. One quick check and the Recycling Centre was more than happy to sell you a large amount of potentially explosive chemicals while the Junkyard had more than enough electronics to satisfy you alongside a goodly amount of scrap metal.
+20 Chemicals.
+200 Scrap Metal.
+200 Electronic Parts.
You draw some looks from your neighbours, but a quick explanation of 'Making some modern art' draws nods and some amused murmurings of getting earplugs.
Which does raise a point, you can't work in your apartment for long, you need somewhere more secure to make stuff just in case. Lee might have people watching you, or he could have his own means to watch you. If he has powers, there's no telling what he could be capable of doing.
You grab your sketchpads and pencils and sit down with cartoons playing, power humming in your mind as you plan and create a means to protect yourself.
[]Roll 1d100-15 to find a hideout, best out of five will be used.
Pick one power armour design:
[]Liquid Mesh Suit: 30 Chemical, 120 Esoterics, 90 Electronic Parts.
This semi-solid concealing full-body suit heightens reflexes and strength to low-level Parahuman levels and is functionally bullet and knife-proof.
Damage Reduction: 3.
Special Ability: Mimetic Stealth - As an action, you can employ the suit's stealth functions, matching background images and textures exactly by remaining perfectly still. This defeats all conventional detection mechanisms. MUST BE STATED IN AN ACTION! THIS IS NOT AUTOMATIC!
Pros: Stealth functions, self-maintaining, full identity protection, can be literally made in your bathtub.
Cons: Cannot wear clothing underneath or over the suit. Your designs and power indicates that extended use will be...uncomfortable. Will not stand up to direct combat.
[]Sneaker Covert Power Suit: 120 Scrap, 150 Electronic Parts, 80 Esoterics, 15 Chemicals.
This suit is built to look like a relatively thickly-layered ensemble of casual clothing with long coat and a full-body interface suit for underwear. It offers no identity concealment, but is capable of matching Low and Mid-level Brutes blow for blow in strength and durability and contains sophisticated threat sensors that predict possible threats.
Damage Reduction: 5
Special Ability: Predictive Threat Avoidance - Fully assembled, the suit can predict inbound threats a high degree of accuracy thanks to near-precognitive prediction systems. On a roll of 4+ on a d6, the suit automatically moves your body to avoid *any* attack.
Pros: It looks stylish, can be made extremely quickly thanks to needing to convert clothing. Won't attract attention in use.
Cons: Hand-wash only, must be worn fully for PTA system to operate, requires 2 hours of maintenance a month, no facial concealment.
[]Lawmaker Combat Power Armour: 400 Scrap, 400 Electronic Parts, 100 Esoterics, 80 Isotopes, 20 Chemicals
A full suit of visible power armour containing Shock-Pulse Projectors, Kinetic Detonators, Inertial Redirectors and sufficient strength and reflex enhancements that you can take on a high-level Brute and have a reasonable chance of actually winning.
Damage Reduction: 8
Shock-Pulse Projector: Electrical 3E
Kinetic Detonators: Impact 3D
Special Ability: Inertial Redirectors - All things have inertia that dictate their movement. Inertial Redirectors allow the suit to redirect any attack that is in motion, from fists to bullets to energy beams, away from the suit once per combat turn automatically.
Pros: It's intimidating, classical power armour from the Pre-Cape era of comics plus some Earth Aleph stuff you have.
Cons: 6 Hours of maintenance per month, difficult to hide, has no means to hide the face if the helmet is removed.