The world has always needed heroes - people of wisdom, courage and valour. A quarter of a century ago, things changed, as a new race of super-powered humans began to be born, bringing new dangers and long-hidden threats into the light. Now, the world needs more than heroes. It needs a LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES!
Magnetic basketball champion Rex Kline (Cosmic Boy, or "Cos"), telepathic Checkmate escapee Irma Ardeen (Tela) and electric runaway Garth Raines (Livewire) saved transport billionaire Raymond John "R.J." Brande from an assassination attempt. He proceeded to forge them, together with intangible Austrian heiress Tamara "Tina" Wazzo (Spirit), Brande's triplicating adoptive daughter Lorna Durgo (Trinity) and green-skinned brainiac Quentin Docks (Dox) into the UN-backed Legion of Super-Heroes.
On their first mission, to the Colombian Andes, they were unknowingly joined by a group of stowaways - master of disguise Reed Daggly, shy size-changer Sally Digby and invisible kid Lyle Norga - and followed by magical telekinetic Zoë Saunders and the super-fast Jenni Ognats. There, the Legionnaires were soon overpowered and captured, with only Lorna escaping, but were freed by the stowaways, although Reed was reduced to a pile of orange goo by a chemical explosion in the process.
Elsewhere, things were going similarly - Jenni and Zoë had been distracted by telepathic illusions, victims of the long-distance control of the subject of Project: Universo, but Lorna was able to shock them out of it with the aid of bouncing boy Charles "Chuck" Tan after the project had regained control of their subject. Rejoining their teammates and discovering that Reed was somehow still alive, they searched the facility for evidence of who was behind it with the aid of chemical-manipulating local resident Conan Doyle "Condo" Arlington , but were soon forced to return to New York with their helpers in tow, who would soon join the Legion in their own right as Shifter (Reed), Shrinking Violet (Sally), Invisible Kid (Lyle), Flash (Jenni), Kinetix (Zoë), Rebound (Chuck) and Catalyst (Condo). Others followed swiftly, including the massive Marine Gene Allen (Leviathan), who was parachuted in as their official leader, although most continued to defer to Cosmic Boy in practice.
Workforce
Darker forces were at work elsewhere, however, as industrialist Leonard McCauley worked on building up his own superpowered Workforce. Initially, this was done by collecting random subjects for experimentation - from which few survived, most of whom were horribly mutated, including Russian exchange students Tikhik Julijovitch Miraz & Gennadij Ryurikovich Harius, and terrorist "Mano". Once super-powered subjects began to appear in the general population, he expanded this program to include them. Of these, he selected a few - teleporter Tikhik, Supergirl-like White Triangle survivor Laurel Gander (Andromeda), Legionnaire siblings Eileen "Ella" Raines (Spark) & Paul Kline (Polarity), multi-powered José Rimbaud (Ultra Boy), telepath Meta Ure (Enrapture), powerful magic user Jin Xiongao (Dragonmage) and the invulnerable Steve Arnold (Reflecto) to be his super-powered promotional team, the "Workforce". He proceeded to arrange their brainwashing to ensure complete loyalty on their part, but Tikhik managed to escape this, travelling all the way to Australia and almost burning out his power in the process. There, he met gravity-manipulating teen Tom Kallor, who helped him through depression.
The escape of "the insect" sent McCauley into a state of paranoia, during which he had one of his experimental subjects, uncontrolled pyrokinetic Sandy Anderson, placed in Laurel's former orphanage to destroy it - with devastating consequences for Sandy's mental wellbeing - and formed a secret version of the Workforce to act as his personal hit squad, consisting of Mano, the vicious Micro, lupine Brian Landon (Wolf), mutated telepath Gennadij (Tellus) and shy teleporter Clarice Ferguson (Blink), the last of of whom also aided in the public Workforce's movements without joining. One of this covert Workforce's missions would involve the abduction of the Legionnaire Trinity to study her power for later use, and this abduction, along with her near-escape and and brainwashing to forget the fortnight-long episode before being returned to the Legion would have devastating effects on her mental well-being.
On the public Workforce team, Andromeda was highly discomfited by some of the things she was asked to do in the name of PR, while Spark had grown steadily bitter about her "abandonment" by her twin brother - this latter point would be exposed during a visit from a small group of Legionnaires, including Livewire and Cosmic Boy, which left Garth devastated. This was only compounded during a reciprocal visit of the whole Workforce to Legion HQ, during which Spark would form a tentative friendship with Legionnaire Dox, but push her brother further away while reeling from Polarity's confession of love for her, which she was forced to admit she didn't share. The blow was softened for Livewire that same night, however, as he and Tela admitted to each other their forming relationship. The same night had further ill-effects for Trinity, though, as although she and Cos were growing closer in spite of her deepening depression, Enrapture took advantage of her while searching her mind for information on McCauley's behalf.
Meanwhile, in Australia, with Tikhik's power finally healing from his over-strain, he and Tom began to plot to travel to the USA to expose McCauley once and for all, with a trip that would involve steps across multiple continents to avoid injuring Tikhik again. On their way, they would pick up the restless Ming Sul in Hong Kong, before running into Noriko "Nori" Ashida in Japan. Nori's near-disablement from her electrical powers began to make Tikhik think of life beyond McCauley, where he could help others with their power-related problems, a line of thought which continued even after they managed to gain the help of Igor Kuria in Canada to temporarily resolve Nori's problems.
Fall of the Workforce
By the time the group arrived in the USA, however, the Workforce had began to fall apart. It began in a small way, as Polarity's confession of love for Spark had driven a wedge between the two, which Enrapture ruthlessly exploited. It accelerated with the shooting of Ultraboy by an animal-rights activist (from a group which would soon be visited by Mano's team), leading to his replacement with a hastily-patched up Sandy (Inferno). And it became irreversible when, on a routine mission with Enrapture to scan an arms depot for spies and their devices, Andromeda had encountered a pendant-wearing member of the White Triangle, the terrorist group led by Zander Roxxas which had orphaned her, and had instinctively killed him. The trauma this caused, combined with McCauley refusing to grant her leave to recover, led to her breaking through her brainwashing. As soon as McCauley realised this, he had Blink send her away - to which Blink, guilty at her unwilling part in what had happened to Trinity, sent her to Legion HQ.
There, the day before, Trinity had finally accepted that she needed help for her problems, and gone to Tela. Irma had thus discovered her brainwashing, and managed to repair most of the direct damage, though not the indirect effects such as her depression. With this known about, Andromeda's crash-landing into their lobby caused some disconcertion, with Leviathan almost ordering an attack before Cosmic Boy, seeing Laurel's confusion at her change of surroundings, stopped him. After Laurel told them what had happened from her perspective, Tela warned Cosmic Boy that while Andromeda was telling the truth, she was so angry that she would probably "kill McCauley and then herself", and Cos thus had Tela put Laurel to sleep for a while.
Despite being denied authorisation for an official mission, Cosmic Boy put together an unofficial team of Tela, Livewire, Trinity, Invisible Kid and Shifter to save Spark, Polarity and any others they could. Joined unexpectedly by a pair of later members - the precognitive Dreamer and the fifth-dimensional Quislet - they travelled to Workforce HQ, where Trinity soon headed off after McCauley by herself. Confronted by Enrapture, she disposed of her by splitting as Meta attempted to invade her mind, but soon found to her shock that McCauley had copied her power, letting him replicate himself freely, along with the power to fire beams of energy from his eyes. The other Legionnaires, meanwhile, had gone to the basement and found dozens of stasis tubes filled with McCauley's subjects, one of which opened to release a large, angry green monster called the Hulk.
At this stage, the fact of an incident at McCauley's facility became public knowledge, and Tikhik's group - following an energy being, formed from the minds of two students, called "Drake Burroughs" - discovered it while Tik recovered from their previous jump. Immediately, he opened a gate to Workforce HQ and the group headed through, with Drake tagging along; while at Legion HQ, Andromeda awoke and started heading for Workforce HQ at high speed.
As the Legionnaires fought the Hulk, Dreamer sent the founding Legionnaires after Cos & Livewire's siblings, knowing that Tikhik's group were about to arrive on the scene to aid them, while Tikhik himself went after McCauley personally. His arrival came at a fortuitous time for Trinity, who was struggling against an increasing number of McCauleys, and the distraction caused two McCauleys to be shorn in half by the others, revealing them to be mere animated dummies. At the same time, the founding Legionnaires confronted the Workforce, to be met only token resistance from their siblings, while Dragonmage remained outside the fray, but Inferno and Reflecto fought hard, knocking out Tela and Live Wire, and Dragonmage & Reflecto ultimately escaped.
Trinity and Tikhik managed to discover the real McCauley, but he quickly knocked out Trinity and was on the verge of killing Tikhik when Andromeda arrived, picking McCauley up by the neck. Tikhik in turn, however, talked her out of killing McCauley. After knocking him out, she heard the ongoing fight with the Hulk just as the battle began to turn against the Legionnaires and their allies, and proceeded to take her frustration out on the monster, knocking him for miles with a full-strength blow, before bursting into tears in the wreckage of the fight.
Workforce Aftermath
After being unbrainwashed by Tela, Andromeda chose to leave Earth for some time; while Spark and Polarity chose to apply for Legion membership, but were forced to attend mandatory counselling to ensure they were fully recovered. Tom Kallor and Igor Kuria also joined more immediately as Starboy and Gear, while "Drake" asked for time to consider whether he wanted to join or not. Trinity took a leave of absence as she also attempted to decide what to do.
Of the other Workforce members, Enrapture was left in a coma, Reflecto set himself up as a mercenary, Dragonmage tried to return home - only to find himself permanently exiled - and Blink was returned to her parents as she tried to cope with what she'd been through, while the rest of the covert team remained together as Mano tried to find a way around their orders to remain secret whatever happened.
Tikhik Miraz opted to become a teacher in the use of powers at the "Legion Academy" set up to deal with many of McCauley's former captives. Ming Sul, Noriko Ashida and Inferno enrolled there as students.
Cathingham
Some time later, a group of Legionnaires consisting of Invisible Kid, Shifter, Starboy and Gear were reluctantly sent to the town of Cathingham, near the US/Canada border, to deal with a vigilante dubbed "the Nightwatchman" by the local media. Gear, plugged into the local CCTV and police radio bands, directed the others to the vigilante after nightfall, but Invisible Kid and Starboy quickly fell, and Shifter struggled to hold his own against his super-strong, armoured opponent. In desperation, as he followed them into the sewers, he prised off their helmet... only to recognise the figure underneath as Lydia Grath, a childhood friend of his with a skin condition that prevented her from going out in daylight. After talking with her in one of her boltholes, and being told about the corruption in the local authorities, he agreed to keep her identity secret, and departed with the Legionnaires the following day.
Shortly afterward, she recruited Andromeda as an assistant in her civilian identity, with the ultimate aim of recruiting her in their superheroic identities as well.
Thousands of centuries ago at the dawn of man, a great civilization called Ekron dominated the landscape of Earth. With long forgotten knowledge and incredible insight, the Ekronians brought an Age of Enlightenment to the world. However, one of their number was not content with the exploration of world and self; consumed with a desire to bring order to the world, Mordru turned against the other Ekronians and sought to subjugate all the world. Ekron was destroyed in the vast civil war, though Mordru survived to plague mankind throughout its development as a great Dark Lord and enemy throughout history.
Following the destruction of Ekron, the planet Earth was razed and suffered greatly as continents were shattered and life came close to extinction. The planet recognized the longstanding danger and sent its own son, birthed from the essence of Earth itself, to defend it. This creature has been called many things, most recently ‘Blok’.
Mordru’s enemies were vast and varied over the centuries though the Dark Lord always remained triumphant. They included an ancient line of shadow-weavers, the Mallors, which stretched back to the birth of human civilization in the gardens of Eden and the House of Proiectra, who learned to utilize powers of illusion in order to battle Mordru’s line of concubines, the Emerald Empresses of Venegar. Another enemy of Mordru to suffer defeat was the ancient Roman hero Monius Elysius whose strength, fortitude and valor were renowned in the ancient world, though that could not stop the betrayal of his friend Devious Emius, who worked on Mordru’s behalf to put him in a comatose sleep where he remained for two thousand years.
Millennia ago, Mordru put a spell over humanity to block any further evolution on their part, ensuring they could never muster enough power to thwart him. Yet, somewhere around twenty-five years ago Mordru’s spell was broken; subsequently, modern day teenagers have found themselves with extraordinary abilities! More telling, something else occurred for the first time in history: Mordru has offspring in the form of two very powerful daughters.
The Telepathic Circle
Across the vast distances of Earth, six young girls with extraordinary backgrounds and abilities came to know one another, unaware their destines were forever intertwined. While under quarantine deep in a Cadmus sub-basement, the young teenage Irma Ardeen reached out telepathically to like-minded girls across the world: Tatiana Mallor, of the ancient shadow-casting Mallor family in England; Princess Jacqueline Proiectra of Moldavia and her chamberlain Sara Romanescu, who also was unknowingly of an ancient royal line; and the daughters of Mordru, Nura and Maziah. Each was faced with immense responsibilities and danger, and came to rely on one another.
As Irma grew up to help co-found the Legion, the daughters of Mordru were inspired to at long last escape from their father’s watchful eye, finally realizing the evil of the Dark Lord. Nura journeyed to New York City to join the Legion as Dreamer, while Maziah turned towards Europe where another gathering occurred.
The Sentinels of Magic
The magical world reached a turning point when Sara Romanescu learned of her family’s ancient origins as royalty of the once great empire of Venegar, as well as the role the Proiectra family played in its demise. She awakened the Emerald Eye of Ekron, one of two thought long lost, and with that power murdered Jacquie’s father. The resurgence of the Emerald Eye caused Mordru’s daughter and magic-user Maziah, Tatiana Mallor and Blok to search out the Emerald Eye; the Eye also awoke the super-powered great warrior Monius Elysius after two thousand years of slumber. Caught up in the chaos was fashion model turned wannabe adventurer, Dirk Morgna, the “Sun Boy”, who had gained sun-based powers following an industrial accident at his father’s factory. Soon the group of teenagers banded together to battle the Emerald Eye and then stayed together following the battle as Blok cured Monius of his lead poisoning.
An international journey then followed as the Sentinels followed the Emerald Empress, first to Rome and then Turkey, where they gained a new ally, the hot-tempered alchemist and fighter Hasim Diyarbikar. Next, they journeyed to Viet Nam for another battle with the Empress, where this time the fight was joined by international hit man the Persuader on the Empress’s side, and on the Sentinels side Ten Zil Kem, a boy with the ability to eat matter in all forms whose father was recently murdered by the Persuader. Though the Sentinels were victorious, the Empress and Persuader escaped. The Sentinels stuck together to find a way home, being told by Blok their banding together was destiny considering how closely the ancient histories of Tatiana, Maziah, Princess Jacquie, Monius Elysius and Blok were tied together. The group grew closer and accepted it was their duty to combat Maziah’s father Mordru, who they learned was on the cusp of once more attacking the world.
Their journey continued through Japan, where they were being pursued by the clandestine secret society the Dark Circle and India, where they met the ten-year old Kid Psycho, who could create telekinetic shields. In India they also met businessman and philanthropist Marla Latham who took a major interest in the group. It was there they were betrayed with several of them captured by the Dark Circle in placed in a gulag under the warden, Nardo, while the others battled Mordru’s vampire agent, Lord Vykros. After they were victorious, Maziah, Mon-El and Blok found unlikely allies joining them in liberating their friends.
Following Dreamer’s joining of the Legion of Super-Heroes, a small group of four Legionnaires set out to find the Sentinels: Spirit, Valor, Shrinking Violet and Catalyst. They did so and helped free the captives from Nardo, and then journeyed to Spirit’s home in Vienna, Austria afterwards. Recognizing the danger of Mordru for what it was, Spirit and Valor elected to stay with the group, as the Sentinels gained more clarity in their purpose. Blok began training Maziah for the coming battle, while the others became immersed in the United Nations politics going on at Castle Wazzo, most notably by the Countess Winema Wazzo and Ambassador Anton Relnic. Marla Latham also resurfaced and a side trip to Berlin introduced the Sentinels to the religious teleporting ‘blue demon’ Nightcrawler.
In Vienna, Mordru’s agents struck: a mercenary called Orion the Hunter and the hellish demon known as Etrigan. The Sentinels again were captured though Marla Latham pre-empted the attack by kidnapping Maziah himself. Marla revealed he was a long time member of the Dark Circle, who had their own interest in Mordru and his enemies. However, this was revealed to be a ruse, as Marla was a double-agent, and he was proactively protecting Maziah from being kidnapped by her father. His cover now blown, Marla rescued many stolen treasures from the Dark Circle, including a statue of Corporal James Barnes, the World War II veteran Bucky, thought long lost. As Maziah restored Bucky, they were joined by Dawnstar, who had traveled half way across the world in search of her missing tribe member (unknowingly kidnapped by Leonard McCauley and sold to the Dark Circle). As Maziah and Dawnstar returned to find their friends, Marla Latham journeyed back to the United States with Bucky, revealing he worked with RJ Brande, financier of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Meanwhile, the Sentinels came face to face with Mordru for the first time, where they learned that Mon-El’s agent enemy Dev Em remained alive as one of Mordru’s greatest servants. The Sentinels escaped when Etrigan the Demon was again unleashed and Mordru was called away by trickery on the part of his most ancient, nemesis who remained unrevealed somewhere in the United States. The Sentinels then escaped to Khundia, which they learned was a military dictatorship in service to Mordru that would serve as his attack point to the rest of the world. In Khundia, they encountered the nation’s own Legionnaire program which included Firefist, Blood Claw, Veilmist and Flederweb.
The Sentinels escaped Khundia to the Greek Isles where they regrouped, gaining an ally in the ghostly Black Pirate. There they decided once and for all to assume codenames, becoming known as Sensor, Valor, Nemesis, Spirit, Flare, Matter-Eater Lad, Mon-El, Umbra and Blok. With the threat of Mordru now something they had seen first hand, Sensor realized in order to defeat him they would need the full power of the Legion and therefore she would have to muster their strength. Sensor, Valor and Nemesis decided to break off from the rest of the group to journey to the United States in hopes of bringing together all of the worlds heroes to battle the Dark Lord.
The Suicide Squad
In the ghettos of Suicide Slum, Metropolis, three boys relied on nothing other than each other: two brothers, deformed and outcasts, Doug & Andy Nolan, and their best friend, Conal. Years earlier, the two brothers had rescued him from the labs of the Cadmus Project and they had been off the radar ever since until the day Amanda Waller of the Government Agency Task Force X entered their lives. Somehow she knew of the boy’s ability to become solid steel and of Conal’s tactile telekinetic powers. She made them an offer which Doug and Conal negotiated, agreeing to a deal on all of their behalf where Andy could be left behind while the two boys volunteered for her mission.
Thus, the two boys took the names Ferro (Doug) and Tetsuo (Conal) and joined the Suicide Squad. They were joined by Kono, Ann Schlar, an American Southern girl with the ability to phase and Oracle, Danielle Focquart, a Tunisian girl with mastery of technology. Their squad leader was Fantomas, Danielle’s brother Jacques, who despite his young age in his early twenties was already a master at espionage with the power of invisibility.
After some initial missions, the five were now poised to act on Waller’s behalf, whatever that agenda may be.
Elsewhere
Following injuries sustained by his gunshot wound to the face, Ultra Boy underwent reconstructive surgery and emerged looking completely different. He also gained some perspective, realizing his time with the Workforce had brought out his worst qualities and he had lost sight of where he came from and who he was. Resolving to move on, he went off in search of the biggest loose end in his life: the dragon Godzilla monster that gave him his powers.
As conservative sensationalist newscaster Jack Ryder, with assistant Marella Tao, look for new ways to use the Legion of Super-Heroes to gain ratings, he hires private investigator Celeste Rockfish to begin researching both the Legion of Super-Heroes and their financer RJ Brande.
Elsewhere, numerous other teenagers begin finding themselves with extraordinary abilities as mankind’s next phase of evolution begins.
[ December 15, 2011, 08:27 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
"Hello again old man", Dani whispered under her breath, as the mansion which was to become the official Legion Academy came into view.
"Sorry ma'am, did you say something?" The driver who had been sent to take her from the airport interrupted as he stopped at the gate.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just talking to ghosts." A nervous look came over him, and she had to hold back her laughter, "No, not literally. Just thinking out loud about the last time I was here."
"Ma'am? They told me..."
"Oh, it was years ago. Just before the old man's heart finally gave out." She looked up at the building again. "He'd have approved."
"I'm sure ma'am." The gate opened, and less than a minute later the car pulled up at the entrance. The driver got out, preparing to open the door for her, but she beat him to it.
A man was standing a short distance away, and once she'd pulled her overnight bag from the car, he walked over to meet her with his hand outstretched.
He was oddly nondescript. Dani found it difficult to place his age, or pick out any features on a face that had been designed for anonymity. In this world at least, noting his white skin and sandy hair as she took his hand.
"Ms. Moonstar? John Jones, headmaster," he said in a voice that held no readily discernible accent.
"Danielle Moonstar, head of... 'Special Training', is it still? It's changed enough times I'm not sure whether I missed one."
"For now at least," he smiled.
"Two weeks until opening and they still don't have it locked?"
"Three weeks. Some of the conversion work won't be ready in time, I was told earlier today."
She sighed indignantly.
He looked apologetic, "I'm sorry. It's out of my hands."
She sighed again, more out of resignation this time, "I know. That doesn't make it any less annoying. Private tutoring's a lot less... frustrating."
"I'm sure it is. Before I introduce you to your team, have you been shown pictures of them?"
"No, why?"
"Ahhh... try not to stare."
"?!" ____________
It was good advice, Dani reflected. She was used to the occasional stare herself, so she knew how rude it would have been, but a grey woman with green hair and a human-sized bug naturally... caught the eye.
"Moonstar, I take it?"
She jumped. She knew she shouldn't have, but she jumped when the bug talked.
He sighed impatiently and repeated "Danielle Moonstar?"
Pulling herself together she held out her hand and confirmed it, "And you must be Tikhik Miraz."
"Yes." He didn't raise his claw. She switched to the other figure rather than make an issue of it. "Shikari Lonestar?"
"Yes, Danielle teacher" Her accent was bizarre, like nothing Dani had ever heard before, and the yellow eyes below the short green hair said something. She felt like she was being seen right through. She shook off the feeling and settled down to start discussing the practicalities of her department with them. ________________
"Hi Sul." Ming Sul jumped as Noriko Ashida suddenly appeared behind her.
"Nori, I don't know how many times I've asked you not to do that when I'm studyi-" she finally turned round to face her and stopped dead. "What is that you're wearing?"
Nori, instead of her usual crop-top and baggy pants, was wearing something vaguely resembling a gown, with tight cuffs at the wrists and ankles.
"The latest hare-brained idea to come from Mr "Twelve times smarter than You" - it's got a layer of copper in it to 'electrically screen' me. The cage is arriving for my bed later."
"CAGE?!"
"I only wish I was joking. It's a box of thin copper mesh - same idea as these clothes, to keep the electricity out, not me in."
"Umm... is it doing any good?"
"Not sure yet. One thing I am sure about though is that it's hot and heavy in a bad way. By the way, I'm getting a single room out of it."
"Maybe my next roommate'll know how to clean the shower after using it..."
"Hey, water and electricity! I'm only meant to stay in for-" she adopted a bad Dox impression, "'the bare minimum of time', remember?"
"Explains why you smell too then, huh?"
Nori stood there a moment too long.
"Whatever you say'll just dig you deeper. Just admit defeat." Sul smirked, Nori just made a face in reply. "Seriously, you'll be fine."
"Without your snoring? I might get some sleep. What makes you so sure you won't get this place to yourself?"
"Numbers. According to Tik, they've got double what they expected at this point - they counted on McCauley's prisoners plus a few, and they got McCauley's prisoners plus a lot. Many more and they'll have to build an extension just to house them, never mind the teacher shortage - the 'normal' subjects are just about covered, but they can't fill the practical powers posts for love nor money. Right now, they've got Tik, some winged woman they found teaching some kindergarten in Scotland, and a 'Danielle Moonsar' who's the only one with experience on the subject."
"Ah." Nori unconsciously played with her collar. "He was asking you to switch sides again?"
"Yup. If - hypothetically I ended up teaching though, I would never get the chance to finish school. If that didn't bother me, I probably wouldn't have turned the Legion down to start with."
"Still no chance then?"
"Legion or teaching?"
"Both, I guess."
"Legion... see if they ask me again in a year. Teaching... if they keep bugging me, I might help out when I can, but classes & homework come first." ____________
The meeting was done, finally. Shikari lost no time in heading out, but Tikhik hung about for a few moments. Dani decided to take the opportunity to ask him something.
"Just wondering - do you know any of the female students?"
"A couple - Ming Sul & Noriko Ashida. I had to teleport from Australia to the USA by the scenic route and we ended up picking them up along the way. Why?"
"I'm a bit worried about Sofia, my - well, I sort of adopted her, after her mother died and she had a big... Umm... fall-out with her dad. She's sixteen, and powered so she'll be coming here too, and she can be a bit... open.... at times. And I don't want her rooming with anyone who'd take advantage of that or anything of the sort. Would either of them...?"
"I think Nori's being moved to her own room because of her power problems. Sul, Sul should be teaching with us as far as her power control stands, but she's more concerned about other subjects. She may do it, but you should ask her." ____________
Sul sat up from her book. She felt like she was going cross-eyed from staring at equations, formulae and proofs for hours, and she was beginning to get hungry. Nori had gone down to the canteen almost an hour before, and looking at the clock she realised she was leaving it late if she wanted to eat anything at all. Stretching, she stood up when there was a knock at the door. She walked over and opened it.
"Hi Tik."
"This is Danielle Moonstar, the head of my department. She wanted to ask a favour from you, and I promised I'd take her up so that she didn't get lost."
"Not sticking around?" She noticed the portal, off to the side and still glowing.
"I'm starving, and it's not a favour for me." He stepped through the portal and was gone, to Dani's surprise. Sul was relaxed.
"He's like that - a good guy, but snippy sometimes. You get used to it. Come in." She opened the door wider and Dani walked into the room.
Directing Dani to the seat she'd been in, she perched on her bed. "So, what was it you wanted Ms Moonstar? Sorry if I'm being snippy now, but I haven't eaten either and I need to get down there in the next twenty minutes if I want to."
"It's 'Dani' if you're not in one of my classes - and according to Tikhik, you might as well be teaching one."
"Only if I dumped all my other classes. I'll help out if you want, but..." She shrugged. "Anyway..."
"One thing." Dani proceeded to give her the same basic explanation she gave Tikhik, ending with, "so, could you keep an eye on her for me?"
"Sure, my roommate's being moved to a single room and I wasn't expecting to get this to myself anyway. What's her power?"
"She's an aerokinetic."
"Say what?"
Dani smiled. "Sorry, I slip into using technical terms sometimes. She can move air around, to create winds and suchlike."
"Ah."
"So you'd be alright with that then?"
"Sure."
"Thanks. I'll let you get down and eat then."
"You've eaten?"
"I promised an old friend I'd have dinner with them tonight before I realised how far we were from New York City. I'd better get moving." ___________
Sul just got the last of the pasta bake, and found Tik halfway through his own dinner in the nearly empty canteen. "Nori say to you about what they're putting her through?"
"I spoke to her, and then the Legion scientists, before I had to meet Moonstar. If it helps her retain control after Igor's collar fails, it's a good thing. I'm sure you remember how she was back in Japan and Canada."
"I remember. I'm just worried."
"I am too, but as long as she can control her power, she can take care of herself."
"Yeah, but that's 'as long as' - remember how sick she got in Canada after being discharged for a while? What if the collar fails during the night?"
"She might incinerate the whole room."
"That's not likely though, is it?"
"If she has the presence of mind to discharge, it might be. And if she doesn't, there's a heavily shielded warning system wired into the cage that triggers if a circuit is drained. She's at risk Sul, but you might be too if you shared a room with her when it happened."
"Fine. I get the point. By the way, was it just me, or do you not like Dani?
"Right now? I've no strong feelings towards her in either direction. Ask me again after I've had to work with her." ___________
Dani collapsed into bed as soon as she could when she finally made it back to the Academy building. It wasn't her old room - that had been in one of the now-student wings - but it felt familiar all the same. She wondered how it would be when she was living here day in, day out for a few minutes, before turning out the light. She was asleep in minutes.
A low level illusion made them appear as young men and a young woman in their 20’s, which wasn’t too difficult to maintain. Connecting in Italy, they changed flights and now journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean towards the United States.
The three of them sat in a row together, Hasim looking out the window, Jacquie in between them and Val on the isle side, all quietly keeping to themselves. Val felt the smallest levels of anxiety about seeing his friends in the Legion again and what their reaction would be to his long disappearance now, but pushed those thoughts away. He would deal with it as it happened. Obviously, there would be some who were angry with him, but he felt there would be others who would forgive him when they realized why he had been gone for so long. He’d gained the trust of many of them when he trained them all. Rather than think of this, he looked towards Jacquie and tried to quietly lend her his strength, knowing she felt the tremendous pressure of the task set out before her. It was a task all of them shared, but she felt it more than they. Val wanted her to know he had made it his own too. Because after these last few weeks with her, he knew in his heart that he loved her, and there was nothing he could do about it. She was beautiful, and regal. But more—she was cunningly smart, and she was strong. She had conviction and she was prepared to take on the weight of the world to help that world, even though it had been so unkind to her. He would let no harm come to her and if there ever came a day when he needed to, he’d give his life for her as well.
A flight attendant came by and offered them all something to drink and Jacquie accepted a ginger ale. She hoped it would calm her stomach a little, which was a pit of nerves and stress at this point. Neither Val nor Hasim knew how scared or nervous she was. Afterall, she was the mistress of illusion. But she was frightened. Frightened she would get there and no one would believe her, or give her a chance. That it would be a wasted trip and there would be no one to help them in the battle against Mordru. Here she was, preparing to convince these people, and through them, a much larger array of governments and the world that she should stand ready to battle a being that could very well destroy them. She laughed to herself. That was if they even believed Mordru existed, which was what she had to convince them of first.
Yet despite being scared and being nervous, mostly what she felt was sadness. She was leaving her friends behind to do this, and she suddenly felt very alone. Because these friends had become her family ever since that day. That day when Sara Romanesque murdered her father and destroyed her family and her kingdom. She had been able to put it out of her mind for so long now, because she had them to think about. But now…now she was leaving her friends behind…and she couldn’t help but feel she was leaving her father behind too.
A tear rolled down her cheek and she hated herself for letting it. She’d held herself together for weeks now—she couldn’t afford to lose it right here on a plane.
“Its alright Jacqueline,” said Val to her softly. Apparently she couldn’t hold up the illusion too well. Or perhaps Val had just seen through it.
She sniffed to herself. She nodded at Val, the tears still in her eyes. “I’m okay,” she said softly.
Hasim looked over at them, annoyed. He had not noticed anything until they spoke.
-------------------------------------------
Jacquie allowed herself to drift to sleep for awhile, and her head leaned towards Val’s shoulder. Soon, Val fell asleep also. Hasim fumed silently in his seat. It was obvious what was happening here. The two of them had no use for him. He wanted to kill Val Armor, and he thought he could. Didn’t she see? Didn’t she see she belonged with him?
The plane suddenly dropped sharply, as turbulence hit hard. Val’s eyes opened up, and he immediately was alarmed. Everyone was quiet. Then, nothing happened. A few seconds later, the flight attendant announced the captain had turned on the ‘fasten seat belts’ sign and to stay seated. Some people giggled a little, to quiet their nerves.
Some more turbulence hit, and the plane again felt like it was dropping. Then nothing again. A little more giggling by some passengers, as others held their seats tightly, now scared. Jacquie was awake now too, also aware of what was happening. Hasim looked out the window, but realized there was nothing he could do. Turbulence was part of flying.
Suddenly the turbulence rocked the plane so hard that a person not wearing their seat belt flew up into the air, banging into the luggage compartments above. The oxygen masks dropped, triggered by the change in pressure, and the plane rocked back and forth, as the passengers felt it dropped. Val suddenly realized how powerless he was up here in the air, as did Hasim.
Then, in a moment of pure horror none of the three of them would ever forget, the entire tail end of the plane was ripped off from the fuselage, as bodies were pulled out into the sky, where they would fall below to their deaths. People were screaming and crying but they could not make enough noise to be heard over the wind rushing into the cabin. The plane began to descend. It was going to crash. Jacquie would never get to perform her mission, because the plane was going to crash…
A green glow could be seen in the corner of their eyes, and the three of them realized something was happening in back of them. More bodies were flying, as the front of the plane suddenly broke off too, and more people fell to their deaths. Going at a speed they couldn’t begin to register, they fell towards the land below, but the green glow grew brighter. It suddenly wrapped around their bodies, ripping the seats out of the plane, as the remnants of the plane, and all of the people on board, descended to their deaths below.
They shouldn’t have been able to hear anything over the wind and the noise, but they heard the words clearly: “Greetings Princess Jacqueline! I’ve missed you.” It was her oldest friend and greatest enemy. Sara Romanesque. The Emerald Empress.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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“Sara…” said Jacquie, the full realization of what was happening hitting her. All of those people…falling to their deaths…
“So glad you didn’t forget about, Princess” she added oozing hate and sarcasm, as she suddenly pulled the three of them to the ground with her, moving at full speed. The Emerald Eye’s magic abilities were now fully under control, and Jacquie realized that perhaps these last months since they last met had been spent putting the Eye under full control by Sara. “One day perhaps you’d be able to fly, but until then, I’ll gladly do it for you.” With that comment, they reached a distance of roughly forty yards above the ground, where the Emerald Empress allowed the three to drop down below.
Valor and Nemesis used their abilities to tumble to the ground, both hitting it roughly but managing to survive the fall, landing amidst a series of trees, in what looked to be a jungle area. They had no idea where they were.
Jacquie landed into a large river below, falling further underwater, but regaining her composure and swimming to the top. She immediately swam to shore, as the Emerald Empress flew down slowly to her. “Your friends can’t help you now,” she said smiling. “MY FRIENDS can’t help you now. You turned them against me! Maziah and Tatiana! They were my friends, and you made them betray me for you!” Sara was furious, now using the Eye to blast Jacquie backwards to the ground. “I hate you!” she screamed in rage.
Jacquie fells backwards, trying desperately to remember how they were able to beat the Empress last time. She recalled something…Tatiana using her shadows to block out the Eye’s vision. Jacquie stood up again, looking at her rival eye to eye, both with fury in their eyes. Two sixteen year old girls of ancient lineage, spanning back sixty generations. Fifteen hundred years of rivalry now shared between these two girls.
Jacquie unleashed her power of illusion at Sara, surprising her, but then doing little, as Sara knew what to expect. But Jacquie’s plan was to distract Sara for a brief moment, so she could concentrate on the true power here—the Emerald Eye. Using her power of illusion, she covered the Eye with the image of the jungle ahead of it, hiding out the images of Jacquie and Sara. For an instant, the Eye was unsure where it’s mistress was.
“You hate me”? said Jacquie now in pure rage. “You hate me? You killed my father!” she screamed. “My father was nothing but nice to you your entire life! We took care of you! You killed him!” she screamed, running at Sara, who now stumbled backwards upon seeing Jacquie’s rage. “I hate you!” she screamed, leaping at her childhood friend and scratching at her face. She was acting on pure fury now, trying to hurt Sara however she could. Sara pushed her back, slapping her back, and Jacquie regained her composure and remembered what Val taught her, and delivered a hard blow into Sara’s abdomen, and then another into her face. “You killed all those people Sara,” she said. “What was it? One hundred people? More? You killed them all! Sent them to their deaths, just so you could get to me!”.
Sara recovered, and by now, the Emerald Eye, in all of its power, pierced through Jacquie’s illusions, and fired at her, once more nailing her backwards. Sara wiped away the blood running from her mouth. “I know that hurts,” she said cruelly, “and I’m going to make it hurt a lot more, before I kill you at last.”
---------------------------------
Not far away, the man known as the Persuader waited with keen interest to see if his ally, the Emerald Empress, would accomplish her goals, and kill the children. He hoped she would and had no doubt she had the mean streak to do it. They had stayed together since first meeting months ago, and become partners, helping each other in getting whatever means they wanted to survive and to flourish. She had her own goals, while his were less grand. He knew she was certifiably insane, going on about an ancient empire named Venegar that would rise again but he allowed her to think he would help her in accomplishing this. And hell, he probably would if it was a real possibility. His goals were more direct. He had international contacts, and he used them now. He’d be the highest paid killer in the entire world, with this atomic axe. He’d made his mark in Korea and his name had spread among the back channels of the global underbelly.
Now the Empress insisted on this plan, after keeping tabs on her rival for so long. She’d used the Eye to influence the plane’s flight plan so that it would move towards Brazil rather than the United States. And to the Persuader’s delight, he saw how bloodthirsty the Empress could be, by killing all those people and bringing her enemy here in Brazil. For some reason she’d been drawn here not long before, in this odd part of the Amazon. Now he welcomed their new guests.
---------------------------------
Valor rushed through the jungle trying to listen for Sensor’s voice, or even the voice of the Empress, to find her. No luck. He had no clue where he was. At full speed, he picked a direction and ran towards it.
“Just make sure you know what you’re running towards,” said a voice. It was Nemesis. He caught up with Valor. “I met this girl before,” he called their last encounter with the Emerald Empress. “She doesn’t fool around. We’re out of our league here, and this time with no Mon-El or White Witch to bail us out.”
“I’m not worried,” said Valor matter-of-factly. “Where do you think she is?”
“No clue.”
Both ran after her now.
----------------------------------
The Emerald Eye rained down a fury of pain in the form of green light, though to Jacquie it felt like a thousand needles piercing her skin and pulling her apart. Jacquie promised herself she would not scream, as sweat dripped down her face and she squeezed her eyes tight.
“You bitch,” said the Emerald Empress. “How dare you lay a hand on me,” she continued, still shocked Jacquie could punch her so hard in the face.
“Just let me up, Sara,” said Jacquie throw gritting teeth, “I’ll surprise you again.” She concentrated now on her power, once more trying to block out the Eye. She needed an image. An image it would recognize and perhaps would startle it. She knew the Eye was somehow sentient through magic and that it was a very old item. Blok had revealed many things about it too her. She had to appeal to its long history and trick it. At last an image came to her.
And suddenly the Eye grew terribly afraid. Before it, the Eye believed, stood the Dark Lord Mordru.
Once more, Jacquie was free. She kicked out Sara’s legs, knocking her down. The two grabbed at each other, the battle beginning once more.
----------------------------------
“Up ahead,” said Nemesis, running forward.
“What is it? That large mountainside? There’s no way they’re up there. We didn’t fall down any hills.”
“I know,” said Hasim, reaching a mountainside covered in trees, bushes and shrubbery. “But something is odd here. Something caught my eye. Something…metallic. I thought perhaps it was the Empress. Or her partner back in Seoul.”
“Partner? You didn’t mention she had a partner.”
“The Persuader. He’s a real pleasure too. You’ll get along just fine with him. But no. This is nothing. We’re still going in the wrong direction.”
“Wait,” said Val now, looking more closely. “Something is here.” He moved the shrubbery out of the way, at last deciding to just rip it right out of the mountainside. It was easier than he thought, because behind it all was a metallic door, built right into the mountain. There was some sort of bunker or building inside the mountain itself, covered over time by overgrown shrubbery.
“What is it?” said Nemesis, anxious to get back to Jacquie.
“Don’t you recognize the symbol?” asked Val. “I do. And I find it extremely odd that of all the places in the world, we end up here, after being two of the few people in the world to recognize this symbol.”
Nemesis looked closer. He couldn’t place it—then at last it came to him. From Spirit’s file. The one she stole from the Dark Circle. This was the symbol of the Dominion. And now it was on the metallic door before them, leading into the mountain.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: "What did you find?" said Spirit, looking at the papers Vi was going through. The two were in an unused office. Not Nardo's, but definitely one of the Dark Circle's higher-ups. Up until now, they'd deduced that this was a major Dark Circle headquarters, somewhere in the middle of Nowhere, Siberia, Russia. It was a prison, and had been in use by the KBG and then the Dark Circle for some time. This 'Nardo' was not a Dark Circle operative, but worked with them. The arrived a day earlier and quickly re-conned the whole prison, to discover in horror the four captives. None were Nura's sister Maziah, but they felt it couldn't be too much of a coincidence. Thankfully, Val had some contacts in Osaka that helped them pick up a trail, after weeks of finding nothing. But luck was on their side, and they stumbled to Sakkim upon hearing rumors of the local prefect having a near heart attack for no reason, and pieced together what they could from there. Then Val came up with the plan to let Condo and himself get 'caught' and taken prisoner, to try and help from the outside. Sally was against it immediately and Tina agreed with her. It seemed overly risky and cut off two great resources. But Val was adamant.
"Look at this," said Vi to Tina. "A strange document. Something about an experiment 25 years ago...science and 'magic' working together in unison. That's weird. They outright admit they believe in magic."
"Let me see..." said Tina, interested. She read more. "A major project that took them over ten years to accomplish. Apparently, this Dark Circle is very mystical in nature. So they enlisted the help of some other super-secret group of scientists...the Dominion?...to crack some sort of spell? Not sure what this means."
"No, you're reading it right," said Vi with some confidence. "Magic and science combined to crack an 'ages old spell to kick-start human evolution.' And then a long list of living metahumans in the last 25 years."
"Wait, wait, wait. Maybe I'm not getting this all right away. Supposedly, some spell was broken twenty five years ago by the Dark Circle and this 'Dominion' to allow human beings to evolve 'naturally'--and so all these metahumans came into being. All of us Legionnaires are in here too. We'll have to talk to Lyle and Brainy about this, I think."
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Tatiana looked, with Nommo, Lydia, Blok and her other ancestors, and the image of ancient Ekron could be seen in the darkened shadows. A blurry, shadowed version of the past, but enough to make out the figures:
The man known as Mordru enters the deep valleys of his dearest allies, amazed and delighted at the creation of such a splendid and beautiful small continent. “Perhaps you should leave a lasting magic effect on this land,” he speaks aloud, “and mark it as your own for millennia to come.” “Nay, friend,” replies his ally joining him from the roots of a nearby bush. “I shall allow it to grow as it will independently, for I am curious to watch things grow.” “Ro Jath,” replies Mordru, “one day you shall learn that to watch things grow is to watch things die. You must involve yourself in shepherding it forward, tending to your gardens as they blossom.” “On that, we differ my friend,” smiled Ro Jath, and the two were at ease amongst each other. These were two of the greatest of all of Ekron, matched only by a third, who was similar to both, yet different still. “Tell me more of your orbs,” said Ro Jath. “My Emerald Eyes,” said Mordru, “one of my greatest creations, they will hold a part of my essence in them forever, and shall bound themselves to their wearers. Perhaps I shall offer them to this creature man, as a gift of our benevolence.” “They are indeed wondrous,” said Ro Jath, “but to bind themselves to another is to instill harsh rules. To you would you offer them?” “To my most beloved of course,” replied Mordru, which ended the conversation. Ro Jath did not like that Mordru had begun to take on concubines from the primitive creature known as man, and even worse, now offered them these items of enormous power. “Ah, our friend joins us.” The third of their group, Thymius, at last joined them. He looked troubled, however, and shaky, and pulled his hood far over his face as if to cover his features. “What is it Thymius?” asked Ro Jath with concern. “What ails you?” “My friends, while you do you duties to conceive new ideas and place restrictions on them, I do my own to gaze into the future and the past and understand the nature of time. And what I see troubles me. It troubles me greatly. Lo, that such a burden fall on one such as I.” “I do not understand, my friend,” said Mordru. “Surely the future holds glories we do not even comprehend yet, as Ekron shapes the world?” Thymius was silent for a time, and at last spoke. “I see the future, and Ekron will not be a part of it for long. I see War and I see great disaster, and Ekron itself shall be destroyed. A great civil war will consume us…” Ro Jath was greatly concerned, while Mordru scoffed at the idea. “War? What good might war be in the acts of creation?”
Now Nommo was silent. “And did it?” asked Tatiana. “Did war happen in Ekron?”
“Indeed,” replied Nommo. “A great and horrible Civil War destroyed the great Kingdom of Ekron. What did you see in Mordru child?” asked Nommo.
Tatiana thought about this for a moment before answering. “I saw a man—an entity rather, wishing to instill order, rules and restrictions upon creation. The antithesis of creation. At last, I believe I understand him.”
“Yes, that is true,” said Nommo, and even then his intent was always to conquer and destroy Ekron. And so he tried—but of course, he failed. Civil War ripped Ekron apart, and the Ekronians all died. The Earth was spilt and the wonderful creations of the Ekronians were destroyed. Ro Jath’s continent was sent forth into the oceans, a remnant of what it once was. Mordru’s own Emerald Eyes were split at the Earth was split. One lost in its ancient hiding place, on the other side of the world, while the other remained close to Mordru, and was eventually recovered and used by his concubines, the Emerald Empresses. For Mordru still lived, and still his goals remained the same.” An image of great destruction appears in the shadows, as two large pyramids, each holding an eye, are split apart—one in pyramid moving with South America across the ocean, and another moving in the opposite direction in Eastern Europe. In the middle, a small island remains afloat.
Valor and Nemesis stared at the metallic doors in shock. Val was absolutely right. There was no way this could be coincidence.
Not long ago, their ally, Spirit had found a file containing information about a secret alliance (25) years ago between the Dark Circle, the global secret society with sinister intentions toward the daughters of Mordru, and the Dominion, a secret scientific group they knew almost nothing about.
Now here, in the middle of Brazil, where they crash-landed, was the Dominion symbol upon a door leading into a mountain. What was in there, they had no idea. Neither was sure they wanted to know.
“The Empress,” said Nemesis. “There has to be a reason she choose here to cause the crash. She must have been waiting here, maybe even drawing us closer to her with the Eye. Who knows what power it has?”
Valor, who was fully aware that both he and Nemesis were quite the opposite of friends or allies, was surprised by Hasim’s comment in that he had to be right. “Yes,” he replied. “She must have been the one who caused this. But what is her connection with this Dominion? Jacquie has known her all her life. She would have known if Sara had a connection to such a group.”
“Maybe,” said Hasim. “Maybe not. Or maybe this link between them is new, in the last few months. There’s certainly a lot we don’t know about this Empress now. Starting with this Persuader I told you about. Maybe its him who had the link.”
“Or maybe…,” said Val as a thought suddenly occurred to him, “…it’s the Eye.”
---------------------------
Jacquie and Sara broke apart, now both bruised and bloody, their rage dying down and turning into fierce determination. The physical aspect of this battle had lasted far longer than either thought it would. Jacquie continued to concentrate on her illusion over the Eye, though she knew it would not last long. Sooner or later, it would realize Mordru wasn’t there.
“Sara,” she said at last. “There is far more going on than you realize. That thing you have is evil. It was created by an evil man, and he’ll want it back. He’s going to come for you. I know it. You don’t have to do this.”
“I do have to,” she replied venomously. “Because you lied to me all those years. You were supposed to be my friend, but you were denying me my destiny. I’m supposed to be an Empress!” she yelled. “But you didn’t let me.”
“Sara, you know that’s not true and doesn’t make sense. But this is bigger than you and I now. This man, Mordru, is the enemy of the entire world. All of us need to stand against him: Tatiana, Maziah, Nura, Irma…all of us. This Eye will pit you against us all. You should be with us.”
“Ha!” yelled Sara. “What sort of trick is this? You just told me you hated me. After all, I did kill your father. You’ll never forgive me for that. I’m not stupid. I don’t know about any Mordru, and I don’t care. But you and I are not friends. And we never were, because you lied. You lied the entire time.”
Both breathed heavily and both prepared for the fight to continue. But it would be to no avail. The Emerald Eye, sensing at last that this could not be the Dark Lord Mordru, at last realized this was an illusion. Using its power without the orders or help of its mistress, it cleared forth any such illusions in its vicinity, and scanned the entire miles long radius around it to know exactly where it was, and what was near it.
And it was then, that for the first time in over one hundred thousand years, it became aware of its counterpart.
Instantly, the connection between Sara Romanesque and the Eye allowed her to understand what was happening. Seconds later, Jacquie’s powers over illusions and truths allowed her to gain insight, in the form of emotions and hazy thoughts, began to realize as well…
For weeks now, Sara began to feel something pulling at her…something across the ocean calling to her, though only on a subconscious level. All of her ancestors felt this same call, though never did they think they’d be able to travel across the world and answer it. It was simply something they grew used to, and in doing so, believed it was something more religious or magical reaching out to them. But Sara Romanesque, in these modern times was fully aware of what was across the ocean—entire continents and countries, entire landscapes and people. And subconsciously, she knew she could answer that call, the first in her line to ever do so.
So she came to South America, in the country of Brazil, deep into the Amazon, past where civilization ends and where a mountainous region, largely uninhabited by human beings, begins. She felt its calling…the Emerald Eye felt its calling.
The calling of its counterpart. The calling of the other Emerald Eye, long lost countless millennia ago, one hundred millennia ago. As she grew closer, the Eye at last began to sense what was occurring, while Sara still could not fathom the enormity of what was happening. Until now. Until the Eye at last felt contact so close it was actually blinded by it.
At long last, the two Emerald Eyes could gaze upon one another through a short distance, and they both recalled the existence of the other from so long ago.
Sara fell to the ground, to one knee, weakened by the knowledge, and out of breath from the inexplicable emotions cast out by the Eye itself. She vomited into the ground and choked on it, trying to cough away the confliction.
Jacquie’s insight allowed her to see but every so blurrily. She understood the existence of the other Eye, but could not register the reaction of the first one. Was it anger? Delight? Despair? Confusion? The Eye seemed to be causing wave after wave of Emerald energy, and now Jacquie fell to the ground and got sick, her rival merely ten feet away, though neither had the energy to stand on their own.
The Eye’s light became stronger, though now the emerald became a sickly color of aqua-green forcing both Sara and Jacquie to close their eyes. Sara once more tried to exert her control over the Eye, but now for the first time it resisted her. Now, for the first time, it recalled life before the Empresses acted as its mistress. It recalled life when it was only it, its counterpart and Mordru.
“S-Sara…” said Jacquie, “y-you…have to reign it in…”
Sara coughed. “I don’t need your help…” she said, trying her hardest. She focused with all her might.
Light streamed everywhere, a plethora of greens, forty shades in all, dazzling the jungle side. Far off, the Persuader grew very nervous, while closer, Nemesis and Valor ran at full speed towards it, hoping Sensor was alright.
The light imploded back to the source, back to the Eye. Sara reasserted control, though now exhausted. Sweat ran down her entire body and blood trickled from her mouth from her fight with Jacquie mere minutes earlier, though it felt like longer than that. She stood.
Jacquie also stood, equally exhausted. Hers was a power she had been mastery since childhood, but in the presence of such forces, she could scarcely control it, and it caused her to see, though she could no fully understand, all that was occurring.
“Sara…” she said, but could not finish the sentence. This girl had murdered her own father, and for that Jacquie should only feel revenge. But part of her still felt pity for Sara.
“…we will meet again, Princess,” said Sara, too exhausted to stay any longer. The exhaustion caused her to doubt even her own anger for the briefest of moments, before she pushed that doubt away and using the Eye, flew off above the trees, and soon, beyond Jacquie’s sight.
Jacquie fell to the ground to one knee again, catching her breath, still trying to comprehend all of it in terms she could understand. From the trees not far from the clearing she was in, came Valor and Nemesis running, having abandoned the mystery of the door in hope of helping or saving Sensor. “Jacq!” said Valor, getting there just a moment quicker, and falling to his knees to make sure she was okay. “Where is she? Are you alright?”
Nemesis said nothing but turned toward the trees, then looked upwards at the sky, scanning for the Empress. Things had grown quiet again. They had moved farther away from the jungle part of where they were to a more forested area.
“I’m okay…” said Jacquie catching her breath, “…and Sara is gone.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “All those people…Sara killed all those people on that plane…”
“We’d better get out of here,” said Nemesis suddenly. “People will come looking after that crash. They’ll blame us.”
Valor was put-off by this sudden expression of self-preservation. “Hasim—“
“She might come back, and this time with the Persuader. Or perhaps that Dominion door contains an even worse secret? We need to leave here,” he repeated. “This is not what are mission entailed. We need to get to the United States.” He looked agitated, and nervous. Val though maybe Hasim wasn’t as thick-skinned as he pretended.
“Sara won’t be coming back,” said Jacquie, “not for awhile. She’s going to need to recover. But yes…we need to get out of here.” Jacquie could still feel the power of the Emerald Eye close by, and it unnerved her. Or perhaps it was the second Emerald Eye she was feeling? Either way, this was a dark place to be, and she could feel they were in danger. They needed to leave. “You can tell me about this ‘Dominion door’ on the way. We’ll come back here. We must—for Sara. But we have a long way to go now. A very long way.”
[ February 03, 2013, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: ”I may be dead, but not completely so, smiled the spirit, ”I can appear in front of whomever I can choose, so long as they are already a practitioner of the ancient arts. Otherwise, the choice is entirely their own, and it is rare to find one already looking for one such as I.”
“You’ve been following us, then? We felt you before in the market place,” said Tina. “I live in the waters of the Mediterranean,” he said. “All of the sea is where I go, because it is the only place I ever truly called home. And its where I meant my end,” he added. “Otherwise, I’d assuredly be in England.” “What do you know of Mordru?” asked Jacquie forcefully; suddenly very afraid the Black Pirate was one of his agents. After all, he was a ghost.
“Not much really,” replied Jon Valor, “other than what I’ve picked up during my 400 years of being a ghost in the Mediterranean waters and beyond Arabian Peninsula,” at this, they were further surprised. “Yes, I can sail there too,” he said, still smiling. “You can be sure a ghost like myself has a better chance of communicating with the other undead servants of the Dark Lord, or even worse, his other agents. But really, what I know most about the Dark Lord…is the fact that he killed me.”
Faith
“What if this is a mistake?” said Tenz to Dirk, quietly and with some trepidation.
Dirk didn’t reply and they both sat there in silence, sitting in the backyard of their room feeling the morning sun. “Then we’re screwed,” he said finally.
“Gee, thanks Dirk for making me feel better,” said Tenz, who was looking for reassurance.
Dirk sarcastically laughed. “What, Jacquie, Val and Hasim all leave for the United States and you want me to make you feel good about it? You know I think it was a mistake too. We’ve split up when we probably should have stayed together more than ever. Maziah is lost to us, at God knows where. Now Jacquie leaves us. Blok is as mysterious as ever, Mon and Tatiana are all off on their own falling in love and probably starting a family so they’ll be leaving us too, and we hardly know Tina. Who knows what we’ll do next?” Tenz had no reply and they sat there in silence now, which was in stark contrast to Dirk’s last few words which grew in volume with each syllable.
“You can start to get to know me,” said a female voice in the doorway, as they turned to see Tina. Her face was somber and serious, but she wouldn’t let on any trace of hurt or sadness. “Its been a few weeks now, Dirk. You still feel like you don’t know me? Well, what do you want to know?”
Dirk sighed. “I’m sorry Tina, its just…well, what do we do next?”
“I thought we were going back to Austria,” she replied. “To see Relnic.” Tina felt bad even bringing it up. Austria was her home, after all, and she felt guilty that it was to her home they were heading.
“How?” said Tenz.
Suddenly Tina felt a wave of nausea and the smell of salt water and worn, musky clothes. She knew what it was. She stumbled a little but caught her footing. As the others began to ask ‘what is it?’ a smile came to her face. She knew exactly what it was. It was the Black Pirate.
She immediately ran towards the fence and looked through one the cracks between boards. As Dirk and Tenz looked at each other, they followed her, and then she ran towards the gate separating the fence from the little secluded side street they were on, and ran outside of it. Dirk and Tenz followed quickly, running out the gate, Dirk running right into Tina, but then catching himself by putting his hands on her arms to stop his momentum—but then feeling Tenz crash into him so all three fell.
Tina fell forward and used her hands to brace for the fall. She looked up and standing before them once more was Jon Valor, the Black Pirate.
----------------------
“Tina, it makes no sense,” said Dirk, “none at all.”
“Of course it doesn’t, Dirk,” she replied sharply. “Its magic. After all that you’ve seen, after looking at the Dark Lord Mordru himself, you still don’t believe in magic?”
Dirk rolled his eyes. “Well, you got me there.”
“Tatiana, Jacq and I met him two days ago here.”
“Well darlin’,” said the Black Pirate to Spirit, “you’re friends are having trouble seeing me, so I guess I’m your own personal ghost now. Suits me just fine,” he added, raising his eyebrows to signify he found Tina very attractive.
“Gross,” said Tina to herself.
“What?” asked Tenz.
“I was just hit on by a dead pirate ghost. Gross,” she repeated.
“Dude I know your really hot, but you don’t have to rub it in.”
“Aw Tenz, you think I’m hot?” she turned to him with a big smile.
Dirk, still sitting in the dirt, put his head between his legs. “I’m in hell. I know it. I’m still stuck in Mordru’s prison and I’m in hell.”
“Stop whining,” said Tatiana, suddenly walking outside as well. She was in a short black skirt and a black and yellow tank top. She was smiling at Dirk.
“Oh yeah, Shady,” he said sarcastically, using Tenz’s name for her to annoy her. “Glad to see you join us. Mon-El’s lips must be chaffed or something right now,” he added with a devlish grin.
She kicked him lightly while he was sitting. “Get up, Dirk,” she said. “Its rude, and our guest is waiting.”
“Oh, you see him too,” said Dirk rolling his eyes. “Of course you do.”
“Perhaps,” said the Black Pirate, “only beautiful young maidens can see me, then?”
“Lucky us,” said Tatiana. “Mon is talking to Blok about what we’re doing next,” she said to the others. “So I have not been spending all day with him, but was rather enjoying being able to listen to an ipod again.”
“Well, Black Pirate,” said Tenz somewhat half-heartedly. “I’m Matter-Eater Lad.”
“Excellent moniker,” said the Black Pirate with a half-grin. Tina gave him a dirty look.
“The reason you two can’t see him is because you don’t have any magic abilities,” she said. “But you could see him, if you wanted to.”
“Oh, I get it,” said Dirk, “I just don’t want to see another ghost or goblin. Really can’t blame me, can you?”
“Dirk,” said Tina in a serious and annoyed voice, “you can’t see him, because you don’t believe in him. Magic is funny like that. There are rules. You have to show some level of commitment to use it or to even glimpse at it. You need to believe in it for it to have an effect on you. Sometimes fear lets you do that. Sometimes though, you need to have a little faith.”
“Faith?” said Tenz. “Faith in a divine being, maybe. But faith in magic? Seems…well, hypocritical.”
“They are not mutually exclusive,” said Tatiana, “but you can hardly expect Tina or me to explain it to you. Maziah is the one who can school in the rules of magic.”
“Well, considering we’ll probably never see her again…” said Dirk.
Now Tenz kicked him. “Cut it out, Dirk,” he said. His voice let on the fact that he didn’t like the comment, because he believed in it.
“Dirk, you need to have some faith. Faith in what could exist in this world even though every sense in your body tells you it could not. If you believe in the magic, it could work for you. You’ll be able to see the Black Pirate.”
Dirk was quiet for a minute, and looked back at Tina and Tatiana. He looked at Tenz, who was equally skeptical.
“He doesn’t believe,” said Jon Valor to the girls. “He never will.”
“Dirk…” said Tatiana more softly. “After all you’ve seen…Blok, my shadows, Jacquie, Tina, Maziah…the Demon! Mordru. You know it exists. You can trust in it. Have faith.”
“Faith…” said Dirk with a smile but then stopped. His smile was not a happy one. It was a sad one. One that spoke volumes about what his life had been like. Thoughts of his father, Regulus, his life before all this flashed in his mind. “Faith isn’t something I have a lot of.” He looked away now. Tenz put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Why is it so hard, Dirk?” said Tina.
“Why is it so easy for you?” he snapped back.
“It’s never been easy!” she snapped back at him. “Never,” she said softer. “And it never will get easy. But you have to believe in something. Otherwise, what will you do?”
Dirk nodded a little, trying to comprehend it and looked to the dirt. He stared at it, still unwilling to allow an image of the Black Pirate enter his mind. Accepting it…it felt like he was accepting what Mordru could do, like he was giving up. But he knew in his heart it was too late to turn away from magic now. He looked up. And briefly, just briefly, he caught a glimpse of Jon Valor. He believed…and he saw the Black Pirate. “So,” he said out loud, and the other three looked at him quizzically. “I suppose you’re just here for shits and giggles?” he added to the Black Pirate.
“Sorry mate,” said the Pirate, “but you’re not that important for me to haunt you.” Jon Valor smiled widely, and stroked his moustache and dashing chin hair. “But I’ll tell ya what. For having such faith in me, I’ll give a ride to where you need to go.”
“Oh?” said Dirk, as now Tenz tried his best to see the pirate too. “And how will you do that? Fly me across the sea?”
“No lad,” said the Pirate now with a strong sense of humor in his voice. “I’ll take you there on my boat.”
--------------------------------
“Magnificent,” said Mon-El, as the six of them and the Black Pirate looked out into the harbor. “I haven’t seen one like it since I woke up in this era,” he added. Before them was a massive pirate ship, originally built in the 17th Century, now as ghastly as the Black Pirate itself.
“She died with me,” he said. “And somehow, she’s managed to stay with me ever since. I guess if I’m to be haunting the entire Mediterranean, I’ll need a way to get around.”
”We will gladly except your charity Jon Valor,” said Blok. ”Know that it will help you have your vengeance on Mordru for your death.”
“So you know my story, ancient one? Aye, I figured you must. I know yours after all my years. I’ll gladly offer my services if they can help ye.”
“Of course Blok and Mon-El have no trouble seeing him,” says Tenz to Dirk. Tenz was still having trouble seeing Jon Valor himself, and certainly couldn’t see the ship. Dirk begrudgingly could see both, but was almost annoyed at himself for doing so.
“All good and well,” said Dirk. “Our Greek Island vacation has ended and now its on board the pirate ship to grand ol’ Vienna. Meanwhile, Maziah is probably in some hidden lair of the Dark Circle in the Congo or Madagascar or Bangladesh or something.”
“Mordru has wronged many over the centuries,” said Mon to the Black Pirate, “I’m glad there are others such as I that will be able to pay him back in kind when the time comes.” The Black Pirate nodded. Mon continued. “Just because you are a ghost though, I won’t have you harassing my girlfriend,” he added with a smile.
The Black Pirate laughed and Tatiana smiled widely. “Looks like I’m all yours,” said the Pirate to Tina.
“Great,” said Tina sarcastically. “How flattering.”
“Between you and Dirk there’s some funky flirting going on in this group,” said Tenz to Tina. “Good thing me and ol’ tall and ugly keep to ourselves,” he added towards Blok.
”Let us leave at sunset then. Jacquie has already gone off on her path, and we shall do the same. The mustering of our forces begins now.”
“Faith, Tenz,” said Dirk sarcastically to Tenz. “If you want to step on that boat, you better have faith.” He looked at Tina to make sure she heard him teasing her.
-----------------------------------
The sailed through the Mediterranean and because of the magic of the Black Pirate’s ship, by morning they were approaching Vienna via the Danube River. Blok decided to sail with them, as did Mon-El, even though both could have moved on ahead of the rest whenever they wished. All stood on the deck, and looked out at the river and the city in the distance, as the earliest bits of sunrise could be seen far off.
Dirk looked at the cell phone in his hands and put it away. He looked over at Tina who was also looking at hers. “I keep telling myself its because I don’t want to use technology on a ghost ship,” he said. “But to be honest, I just don’t want to call.”
Tina nodded. “Yeah,” she replied and it spoke volumes.
“I’m sorry if that was mean before,” he said to her. “Sometimes this is all so hard to take in, you know?”
“I know,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry I snapped at you too. We’re all in this together.”
He nodded. “I am glad I’ve got to know you, Tina. We all are. If I believe in anything, its this group.”
“Ever watch a sunrise from sea, mate?” said Black Pirate to Tenz, Mon and Tatiana.
“Er, no,” said Tenz.
“I have,” said Mon and Tatiana was surprised by the longing she heard in his voice. “Its like the world goes on forever with no end in sight.”
“Aye,” replied the Black Pirate.
The watched as the sun began to rise in the distance and the ship crept ever closer to Vienna at its magic speed.
”At last,” said Blok. ”At last we can begin anew.”
“What are you getting on about?” asked Tatiana to Blok.
“You mean that giant hawk in distance, Blok?” said Tenz quizzically. “What the hell does that have to do with us?”
Mon-El suddenly began to laugh. “That’s no hawk,” he said. He was smiling widely.
“What is it then?” asked Tenz thinking Mon had lost it.
“Who is it, you mean,”
The six of them watched in the distance as the winged shape grew larger and they could see it was no hawk at all but a human being, with wings, moving at an incredible speed. A young female, exactly, and even more, she was carrying another female.
And so the Sentinels met Dawnstar, and at long last, Maziah, the White Witch, was reunited with her friends.
As they flew down, Tina put a hand on Dirk’s forearm, as he looked up and quietly breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Maziah safe. “You see Dirk,” she said. “You need to believe in something.”
Dirk smiled and nodded.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
"I had... I've been having this dream, this nightmare for the past few nights..."
"And what happens in this 'nightmare'?" R.J. asked, trying to keep his gravelly voice soft.
"I'm, all three of me, lying strapped down to a table. And there's two voices, male and female, who keep saying things over and over, like 'Your will is irrelevant', 'Your hopes are irrelevant', 'Your dreams are irrelevant', 'Who you were is irrelevant'. Just over and over, burning how irrelevant I am as a person into my heads. Then, eventually, they come out of the shadows, and it's McCauley and Enrapture. And then they take two of me - Neutral and Purple - and start doing things to me, and I start screaming, while Orange has to watch. And then it keeps going on, and on, with pain and confusion and... until I can't take any more and wake up." ______
Lorna sighed as she looked out the window of the taxi. NYC certainly hadn't got any less... crowded in the time she'd been away. ______
Eventually, simultaneously, the two released one another.
Cos broke the silence. "I missed you," he said gently, brushing a strand of her hair back.
"I missed you too," she smiled. ______
Neutral noticed a strange blob in Cos' pocket. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.
"Stress ball thing. Apparently, it was sent to me a couple of months back, but it only filtered down through the parcel-checking systems not long after you left. ."
He moved to hand it to her, but as it came in contact with her hand, before he released it, something happened...
He felt a wave of dizziness hit him...
She felt her 'sisters' rushing towards her in a forced merger...
Trinity awoke to a sea, not of white but of black. A seemingly endless, lightless expanse...
Remembering her day alone in McCauley's Black Room before her brainwashing, she struggled to control her panic, and instinctively split into her three trifurcated selves. Then she heard screaming. Three loud screams. It took a moment to filter through the pain which had suddenly assailed her that the screams were hers. ______
Cos' voice came from above her head "You fainted after you remerged - I hope, I felt around for more of you, but in this pitch black... you did merge, didn't you?"
She paused for a moment, "Yeah, just me. I'm all in here." A longer moment. "That's never happened before. It felt like my heads were going to explode."
"You're okay now though - I mean, as just the one of you?"
"I think so. ______
"That stress ball thing was a teleporter?"
"Looks like it. It must have been set to trigger when two people touched it at once, because I've had it for weeks and half the team's touched it at one point or another. It's not exactly standard tech. Someone went to a lot of trouble to set a booby-trap like that." ______
At first, they talked, but after the first hour that tailed off, and they walked hand-in-hand in silence but for the tapping of their feet on the rough ground. Occasionally, they tripped, but usually caught each other before they hit the ground.
It was hours before Cos realised that he didn't feel hungry, or thirsty, or tired. ______
"There's something about this place, isn't there?"
"Lu, calm down. The last thing you want to do here is split, remember."
She breathed harder. "But it's eating away at us. I can't split properly. We don't feel warnings we should. Our feet are going numb. What next?"
"Just focus. Count to one hundred..."
He heard the whistle of breathing through clenched teeth. "Lu..."
"I-I can't hold it..."
She split.
The three Lornas screamed at the top of their voices again _____ The foul smell under her nose woke her up. She squirmed, feeling the cold ground underneath her, and tried to push herself up.
"Sorry Cos, I-" she stopped when she realised the smell was still there. Not wanting to open her eyes, she felt the broken smelling salts bottle on the ground. Listening, she couldn't hear anything except her own breathing. Opening her eyes, she looked around and saw no-one on the brown, rocky ground.
"Cos?"
She looked around again.
"Cos...?"
"Cos?........"
And now, the conclusion...
Welcome Back? Level 3 - Reborn?
Trinity sat, closed her eyes, and tried to focus her mental reserves rather than end up with another painful split.
Cos had vanished.
She couldn't split, on pain of... well, pain. Severe, head-shredding pain.
She was alone in a seemingly endless barren landscape with no expectation of retrieval.
Her feet were numb, and none of her bodily functions - hunger, thirst, tiredness, toilet - seemed to be active. It was as if she was shutting down, piece-by-piece.
"I've had better days," she said, aloud, as much to hear something as for the words themselves.
She opened her eyes for another look around. And then it finally struck her - she could see. Not far, but a few metres of Something was more than the absolute blackness that had surrounded her and Cos since they'd appeared... wherever it was.
"Wha-" she stared down at her hands. As she brought them closer to her face, they grew brighter, and as she moved them away, the reverse happened. Her eyes were glowing.
She sat down again to try and make some sense of it all. She couldn't generate light. Her absent-minded wish, taken oh-so-literally by the djinn hidden in her lamp, had been clear - to be three people at once. Generating electromagnetic radiation of any sort was-
"ElectroMAGNETIC?" It hit her. She reached out her hand, and felt a sweep of power run through it and out through her palm. Somehow, she had Cos' powers. Her subconscious or something must have taken her fear of the dark and found a way to use the power to make light. Just because Cos hadn't didn't mean it couldn't be done - just that he hadn't had the same reason, found the same trigger.
"How?" But she already knew. Cos had vanished after she'd remerged the way she did. He'd had her hand on one of her shoulders, didn't he? It didn't make sense - she'd remerged in proximity to others, even while touching others before without anything happening. But then, she'd split hundreds of times without the sort of pain she suffered here. And her sudden... assurance... she'd been in a state of near-panic, which caused the split in the first place. So why had she sat down and calmly worked all this out? Answer: Cos.
She looked around for one last time... and noticed an oddly ruler-straight crack in the ground. And another, and another, at right angles to the first. She'd looked over in that direction a few moments before and not seen any cracks at all. She kneeled at the area, touched her hands to the ground, and "pulled". She felt something shift immediately, and pulled harder. A moment later, she was standing with a thick slab of dust-covered iron in, or rather on, her hands.
And there was a ladder there, and a light at the bottom. Thinking that it might be safer trying to resplit somewhere she could see, she climbed down, and found herself in a brightly lit white... box, was the only way to describe it. Clinical in the extreme, with no obvious doors out.
Nonetheless, it was somewhere she could - relatively - safely try and split. She sat cross-legged on the ground, and steeled herself to focus, to try and split, and hopefully get Cos back. Even with his strength, the prospect of the pain scared her.
Nonetheless, she had to do it. With a scream, she did it.
The three of her gritted their teeth and hoped. Tears flowed from Orange's eyes, but none of the three dared open their eyes, scared they would pass out from the pain.
Finally, her purple eyes opened and she saw him, lying just behind the other two, apparently unconscious. Fighting instinct on two levels, they pushed away from him, each movement in each body a strain, until she could push no longer.
Looking at each other with bloodshot eyes, they merged.
The combined Trinity fell forward onto her hands and knees, but fought against the blackness that threatened to take her for a third time. After a minute, she dared push her head up.
Cosmic Boy was still lying there, unconscious but apparently solid as life.
She pushed herself to her feet and walked, unsteadily, the few steps needed to reach him; before dropping to her knees again to try to feel for a pulse.
She couldn't find one.
On the verge of panic, she was so absurdly grateful when she saw him start to move she nearly vomited.
"Lu?"
"I'm here..."
"What... happened?"
"I'm not sure. Take it easy..."
"I'm alright."
She hugged him, tightly.
Hugging her back, he asked in her ear, "Are you okay?"
On release she said, "Year", wiping a tear from her eye. I'm sorry, it's just been a stressfu-"
"Lu? LU?!"
All the air had gone from her chest. She wanted to say she was alright, but she couldn't speak, and her legs seemed to give way. As he caught her, her hearing began to fade, and she saw rather than heard Cos screaming more as black roses raced across her vision... __________________
Suddenly, she found herself alone, in another black void. Looking down, however, she saw herself clearly, as in full light - although her clothes were suddenly all white.
Behind her, she heard someone clearing his throat. Spinning around to see the source, her eyes bulged, then narrowed in hatred at a man, in a white suit, with white horn-rimmed glasses.
"Welcome to the afterlife. I'm Leonard McCauley, and I will be your host. Forever.
-------
"You're..."
"Quite. And you just expired in your boyfriend's arms, or don't you remember? The best laid plans continue forever-"
She lunged at him. He didn't dodge, or retaliate, but just stood there as she careered right through him.
"Remember that little group which captured you? They arranged for the teleporter to land in Cosmic Boy's hands. You were bound to touch it eventually. Taking him with you was an added bonus."
She opened her mouth to shout at him, but no words came out.
"Please. I'm in charge here," McCauley sneered. "I wonder what he's doing now. Trying manfully to stop a corpse bleeding? Attacking an assassin who's long gone? Or perhaps he's screaming tearfully with your body in his arms...?"
She turned to go. If she couldn't hit him, and couldn't drown him out, she would just leave. But as soon as she began walking, he was in front of her once more.
"Didn't I tell you? I wonder what will happen to him now? Perhaps that insect will suddenly pick up his trail, and dear Raymond will be able to have a funeral for his daughter? Or perhaps he'll just sit there, broken, not noticing hunger or thirst - a nice touch, don't you agree? - until he dies and he comes down to join us here..."
She tried to turn away again, but she could no longer move. She could only sit directly where she was, watching the man she hated most boast how he'd killed her from beyond the grave, and how Cos would die alone.
"Come now, sit on my lap. I have so many things for you to do. Especially once your boyfriend arrives."
Suddenly, against her will, she began stepping towards him. She wanted to fight it, but her white-clad... body?... wouldn't respond to her. When she reached him, he was suddenly sitting in a white chair. Her leg swung over him, and she sat on his lap, suddenly able to touch him, but utterly unable to strike him.
She looked into his eyes, an expression on her face that conveyed exactly the opposite of what she felt. She wanted to close her eyes, but even that gesture of defiance was no longer hers to make.
After a long moment, his face left her field of view, and she felt his breath on her ear. "See? Your will IS irrelevant. You're mine."
She broke. It was all too much. It didn't register that her knees hit linoleum, or that McCauley was no longer there, or even that there were suddenly three of her, none clad in white.
All three just knelt there, sobbing.
«LORNA!!!!»
A voice in her heads suddenly cut through her moment of perfect despair. Purple and Neutral found the energy to look up. Neutral's hand was still attached to the 'stress ball'. As was Cos'. Along with the rest of him, as his red face stared blankly at Neutral.
To one side, Neutral saw a semi-transparent green wall cutting through Purple, and through that stood Tela and several other Legionnaires.
«Lorna, I need you to hang on - you need to let me in so I can free Cos, and you need to stay conscious for that. Let me through and hang on.»
On the verge of passing out, she clenched her pairs of teeth, and then felt Irma's presence dart through Purple's head, bypassing Orange, through Neutral's and beyond. A moment later, life came into Cos' face, and he looked mutely at her. Then, a few seconds after that, the green wall disappeared. Finally, just as she couldn't hold on any longer, she felt Irma withdraw, and gave into unconsciousness... _____________
Trinity woke up in stages - first, a vague sort of awareness came to her; then, once she was awake enough to realise it, she forced her eyes open and pushed herself to sit up. She felt completely exhausted, her head hurt, her mouth was dry, her leg muscles were cramped, and she felt an unpleasant tingling in her arms and legs.
Looking around, she realised she was in the Legion's small medical room. Cos was out cold on the bed beside her, with a drip being fed into his right arm. She tried to stand up, to go and look at him, but she felt a tug on her own right arm as a wave of dizziness hit her, forcing her to lie back down and shut her eyes. After a few moments, she looked across, and saw a glass of water on her bedside table. She took a few sips to try and ease her dry mouth, then closed her eyes again.
A couple of minutes later, she heard footsteps, and pushed her eyes open once more to see Tela coming over toward her.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like a military academy - bits of me keep passing out."
"I see you read the book I lent you," smiled Irma.
"What happened?"
"You managed to find some sort of booby-trap. In a stress ball of all things."
"We kind of guessed that part. What happened?"
Irma sighed quietly. "The thing psi-linked you and Cos. It then sealed you off with a forcefield, and the rest was just prompts to create a world inside the link based on your fears."
"So, it wasn't...?"
"I don't know. After I pulled Cos out through the gap you opened, I only got a few seconds to look 'under the hood' before it shut down - but, from what I saw, whatever happened to you in there was based entirely on what you and Cos are scared of."
"So, seeing McCauley say it was him..."
"Was exactly what you didn't want to hear. So you heard it. However it felt, however it seemed, it wasn't real Lorna. It wasn't the real McCauley."
Trinity shut her eyes for a minute, digesting this, and trying not to wonder about the reality of the 'real world'... "What's this for?" She pointed at the drip with her left hand.
"Just saline - water, basically. After we got you out, you were both really, really dehydrated. Dr Llewellyn said you'd been sweating as if you were in a rainforest. For hours."
"So..."
"Eventually, yes. But you got out before the real danger point was hit. You did, Lorna, not me."
Trinity shut her eyes again.
"Some 'Welcome Back', huh?" Irma said to her.
"I was looking for something more like an early night."
"On that note, I knocked Cos out for the night a while back, and I promised Dr Llewellyn I'd not keep you up too long, then I'd send you off for eight hours. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
Lorna sort of nodded, and felt herself fall into a dreamless sleep.
-------------------- My views are my own and do not reflect those of everyone else... and I wouldn't have it any other way.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Fox News Station; Manhattan, New York, New York
Jack Ryder, annoyed as always, took one of the pencils on his desk and flung it across the room at the ceiling just above the door, so it stuck in the wall.
“No, no, not yet. We need to know more about them. What are a couple small town kids from Middle America mixed in with some foreign kids from various places? A couple of exotic locals? What’s that little ship thingie that always flies around them? I can’t tell you why, but I hate that thingie.” He was laughing at himself as he said that. Suddenly he stopped laughing. “No, I want us to dig up as much dirt as we can on them.”
“Okay…” she said, feeling more uncomfortable.
“Start with R.J. Brande though,” he added. “I still owe him for never doing my show. One of the world’s biggest businessmen, and he won’t do interviews. He won’t even talk about his past…just writes annual letters to his various shareholders,” he continued, talking to himself again, and evidently convincing himself of something. “Yeah, lets start with Brande. Let’s finally dig up the dirt on him.”
“Okay,” she said again, this time ready to follow-up before being cut off. “Should we use one of our investigators. I could go to our best, but she may refuse to work with us now, after well, you know…”
“Ms. Rockfish?” said Jack with that devilish grin. “She’s gotten over it by now, I’d hope? Attractive young lady like that? She can’t get hung up over one little affair that ended perhaps a bit too expectedly…” he added, and Marella knew he was referring to his brief affair with Celeste Rockfish, private detective, which ended when he didn’t bother to follow-up with a call. “No, she’s perfect. We’ll use her.”
“Got it,” said Marella, standing up and heading for the door. “R.J. Brande, here we come.”
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Mordru as an entity moved across the Atlantic Ocean, towards New York City, his poisonous presence sending a shiver down the spine of every person or animal he came into contact with. He had to know for sure that it was Nura who had come to New York City.
As he raced forward and approached New York City, he suddenly felt a tremendous barrier blocking his way. He tried again, but no…he could not enter the city. And it was then in his heart he knew she was in there, being protected from him.
Very well then…he would ensure agents of the most horrifying kind were sent to engage this ‘Legion’. It was far too soon in his planning, but they had pushed his anger beyond barrier. One daughter kept secret from him in New York and one group of his enemies having the audacity to defy him. Now it was time to once more declare war upon the Earth.
Manhattan, New York City, NY
“Look at this,” said Condo, picking up the morning edition of the New York Times. “I swear, lately this city seems to be getting more and more dangerous.” The headline read: Silver Slasher Strikes Again!.
“That’s the fifth in less than a month,” said Shrinking Violet. “That’s an odd amount for even a serial killer,” she added.
Catalyst raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know whether I should be worried or impressed by that Vi,” he smiled.
“We should get back, or we’ll get in even more trouble,” said Vi. The two of them now stood in the lobby of the huge skyscraper at 247 Weisenger Street, on the small side street between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue in Midtown. The lobby was jam-packed with businessman and woman, security guards and visitors for the businesses that encompassed the first 58 floors of the building. After all, the building was still packed with other people despite the Legion controlling all (5) of the top floors. Still they stood out like a sore thumb and Condo basked in the attention. He wasn’t sure what was better: the amazed stares at people realizing there were actual Legionnaires here in the lobby, or knowing how angry that would make Gene later when he found out Condo and Vi decided to head to the lobby for no reason at all.
Well, for a reason he wouldn’t like actually. They were in serious trouble still, barely escaping being thrown off the team completely, saved only by RJ Brande putting in a good word with them, and Cos deciding to give them a second chance. He wasn’t sure how Val or Tina would do since they hadn’t come home in the weeks to follow, stretching out their absence even longer. Condo knew he’d made an enemy out of Gene for life for this, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t exactly Gene’s biggest fan. Still, he knew there were some higher-ups in the confusing bureaucracy of the legion’s structure that were angry about this disappearance, but they were faceless and he still wasn’t sure even who they were. What mattered most was the media hadn’t seemed to catch on to the disappearance of any of the Legionnaires yet and that was good. They would eventually, though if only in the gossip sections.
So they were hiding out in the lobby and checking out a discarded New York Times. It wasn’t just this Silver Slasher serial killer that had been a plague on New York in the last month. It was other things too. An odd explosion downtown near Wall Street two weeks ago (blamed on a gasline). A shoot-out at Grand Central Station. These things might seem common to the everyday Midwestern American who thought the big apple was a crime-infested city, but in all honesty, things like that didn’t happen that often in Manhattan. It was like a mixture between a crime wave and a disaster wave were hitting.
Or maybe it was because he was in such an annoyed mood these days that he noticed them more. Could be that—considering he and Vi were on what Lyle had named “cleaning the Headquarters with your toothbrushes duty”. The closest Condo had come to a mission of any sort lately was when he volunteered to pick up some hotdogs around the corner for him and Lyle yesterday.
“Condo?” said Vi shyly, but then smiling. “Are we just going to stay down here all day? You realize people are past staring at us now and simply gawking, right? Within five minutes we’ll be signing autographs.”
“Oh?” he said, snapping out of his distraction. “You’re right, Vi, we better go…”
“Condo! Vi” said a voice suddenly. At first they feared it would be Gene, but they quickly realized it was the soft female voice with a Middle East accent that for some reason sounded like the huskiest, sexiest voice either had ever heard. Both often wondered what effect it had on the everyday girl-loving male. They turned to see Dreamer striding over to them, her slender legs moving fully as she moved in a short skirt and high heels.
Every male eye in the room watched her every stride, while many females were amazed at the audacity of the teenager to be stressed so—well, so sexy. Vi felt super-shy suddenly, almost embarrassed for Nura’s show of skin, while Condo loved every second of it. Nura’s outfit, complete with a white blouse and diamond necklace that showed on her neck, was sexy but still very fashionable. She still maintained the element of class, despite being so risqué. Fashionista, indeed.
“Hey Nura,” Condo smiled.
“I’ve been looking for you,” she smiled. “Every time we start having a conversation about what went on over there, Captain Broomstick busts in on us, hoping to glean some additional information out of you,” she smiled. Condo was amazed at how beautiful she was even now after knowing her all these months. He was smiling back at her, though more for her use of the nickname Lyle had given Gene: Captain Broomstick, as in the ‘giant broomstick lodged up his ass’.
“Well, we’re already drawing too much attention as it is, Nura,” said Condo, as now people began to hesitantly approach. Nura might have been dressed in attire appropriate for the hottest clubs in the Meat-Packing District, but Condo and Vi were in their Legionnaire costumes. “Let’s take it upstairs.”
“Ok,” she said in agreement. “Mr. Brande said I could use his board room office in case of an emergency, so we’ll go there…”
“How did you swing that?” asked Condo incredulously.
“Well, I helped him out not too longer ago,” she smiled back, obviously not going to reveal how. RJ Brande owned this building after all, and his boardroom was on the top floor, not a part of the Legion’s section of that floor, and usually cut off to them.
“Excuse, me, Legionnaires?!” said a voice from the crowd, as Vi sighed, feeling they waited too long.
“Sorry ma’am,” said Nura smiling, “Legion emergency!” as the three Legionnaires raced to the elevator.
“Ma’am?!” said a voice indignantly. Celeste Rockfish was shocked at the use of the term. “Ma’am?” she repeated again, as the people next to her looked at her. She was 28 years old and still looked quite young, and for this 16 year old exotic looking sexpot to call her Ma’am? She shook her head, and wrote something on her pad. She tried to walk forward.
“I’m sorry M—“ began a security guard, but she cut him off.
“Please don’t even think of calling me Ma’am.”
“I wouldn’t think of it, Ms. Rockfish,” said the guard with a smile. “But Mr. Brande has asked us not to let you through, and well, Mr. Brande is the boss.” He looked away now, back out into the streets, and Celeste knew that was all she was getting from him. She’d already tried to set up a meeting with Mr. Brande but it didn’t work. She’d hoped she could avoid all the cloak and dagger, but Brande was notoriously secretive about his past. The story, as it had been told over a thousand times in the Wall St. Journal and elsewhere, was that Brande was an incredibly smart investor from Omaha, Nebraska that made a fortune out of nothing and became one of the world’s richest men, with ownership in over three dozen gigantic fortune 500 companies and who knew how many other private companies and funds. But that story hardly ever checked out when investigated more fully, and no one really knew anything about him. Now it was her job to find, well, something.
So far, no luck.
“How long have you been working here…Mike, is it?” she said with a wide smile, putting a hand on his arm and using every ounce of her feminity as possible.
He smiled back at her. “The boss said you’d try that,” he replied.
Her smile turned to an annoyed frown. “You’re killing me, Mike,” she said under her breath and decided to exit the building. Catching a Legionnaire off-guard seemed like a good idea, but now it felt like a pipedream.
“Hola, pretty lady!” said a weird voice suddenly, and she turned looking for it. At first she couldn’t see at all where it was coming from. “Over here, babe!” it said again, and she turned to look at it, and saw the strangest thing she’d ever seen in her life. A large face and arms were coming out of the security guard’s desk at her, and were speaking to her. She suddenly felt both frightened and sick to her stomach.
She knew weird things happened in this building, but…
“Cut it out Quislet,” said the security guard, “and go back up to the Legion floors. You know Mr. Brande won’t like this.”
Celeste tried to regain her composure, feeling like she would faint. “Wha--?” was all she could get out, and suddenly felt embarrassed at that.
Quislet returned to ship and floated between the guard and Celeste. “Lady Reporter wants to come join the Legion upstairs! Sounds like a fun idea to Quislet!” it said.
“Not a reporter,” said Celeste, at last regaining her composure and realizing who this was in front of her. One of the Legionnaires. “Just someone really interested in you Legionnaires…Quislet is it? I’d love to talk to you.”
“So talk!” replied Quislet. “What do you want to know? How sub-atomic beings use light as a food source?”
“Uh…not really. How is life as a Legionnaire? Everyone getting along nicely? Are Tela and Livewire really dating? What about Leviathan, is he really as heroic as they say?”
“Quislet loves being a Legionnaire!” was his response and Celeste was not exactly enthusiastic by the lack of description.
“What’s RJ Brande like?” she said now getting to her point. “He seems to be interested in you Legionnaires. You’re his new pet-project.”
“That’s enough Quis,” said the security guard again.
“RJ Brande is great!” said Quislet ignoring him. “Always has a kind word for Quislet when everyone else is so moody and depressed! RJ is lots of fun! Says Legion will be very important in future of—“
“Quislet,” said the security guard, “I’m calling up to Leviathan now,” he added, putting his walkie talkie to his lips. “Ms. Rockfish is a private investigator and she does not have the Legion’s best interests at heart. Sorry Quis,” he added, “gotta do it.”
“Uh-oh, I’m in trouble again!” said Quislet with a laugh and flew off, adding something about ‘fun’ as he was going.
“Bye Quis!” she yelled after him, using the nickname. Turning to the security guard, she added “looks like I have a new friend, Mike,” she said smiling and walked back out of the building. “See you soon!” she yelled back to him.
-----------------------------------
“So really Nura, you now know everything we know,” said Condo, as Nura sat back in her chair, and thought about Maziah, Tatiana, Jacquie and the rest of this group they were with.
“It really sounds like they’ve had a terrible time,” said Nura at last. She looked very concerned for her sister.
“Well,” said Vi, “its not all bad. They seem to be safe with one another, and have really formed a tight group. I think Maziah is safe with her friends.”
Nura smiled. “I miss her,” she said at last. “She’s my baby sister, after all.” Condo and Vi nodded. Nura quickly added “She may be more powerful than the entire Legion, but still, she’s my baby sister…”
“You’ll see her soon, Nura,” said Condo. “Tina and Val staying behind has kind of created a bridge between their group and ours. Its only a matter of time before you see her. Besides, Vi made out with the Dirk kid, you know the model one, and well, she’ll have to have a follow-up.”
“Condo!” screamed Vi, turning a dark shade of crimson.
“Sally!” said Nura in pure delight, “you little minx!”
“Cooooondoooooooo,” said Vi again, “you promised….”
They were all laughing and giggling now. Finally it began to subside. Nura got up, and brushed off her skirt and blouse, then wiped the hair out of her eyes. At last she turned to them, and they could see some relief in her posture, but also a rare moment of vulnerability. “I just hope when I see her next its not because of my father.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
The Black Pirate's ship began the docking process at Vienna, as the entire dock remained oblivious to the approaching ship’s presence. The Pirate’s magic continued to cloak their presence so long as they remained on board.
Dirk hugged Maziah tightly once more. “We were worried about you, witchy,” he said softly. “Real worried.”
“I know,” she said a little embarrassed. “I was worried about all of you too,” she smiled. They’d been with her now for almost an entire day and still felt the strong sense of relief at knowing she was uninjured. After all they’d been through in the past few weeks—months, really—they had formed a kind of bond that only veterans of wars or times of great strife could understand. She was the youngest of their group, at (16) years old, while the rest were 17-18, with Mon-El a much older (to them) 20 and Blok being, well, just Blok. Dirk couldn’t describe in words the relief he felt, like at last something happened that felt right.
"Dirk speaks for all of us, Maziah,” said Blok, “especially for me. You and I have much to discuss, and know that we will in the coming days. But I have waited long enough and I can wait a brief time longer."
“Thank you Blok,” she replied warmly. “I missed you,” she added, and it was true. She had missed Blok. His presence provided her a comfort she had been missing her entire life, and never realized she needed it until she had it. She turned to Dawnstar, who had joined them with her. “Please stay with us longer Dawnstar,” she said. “You have been traveling for quite some time now, and you deserve a chance to rest. And to be among friends. I believe we shall be here for some time now.”
Dawnstar was silent for a moment, considering it. “I think I will, for a little while. My search has grown cold anyway…and I have to admit its been nice to be with someone else lately,” she added smiling to Maziah. Although they had traveled in relative silence for some time, the two had a subtle, unspoken friendship now from their recent journey.
“Alright!” said Tenz to Mon and Dirk. “We can always use another gorgeous girl!” Dirk nodded in agreement and Mon simply shook his head and laughed.
“Speaking of which,” he said, “where are our other gorgeous girls?” he asked.
Ten feet away, and off to the side, Spirit overlooked the approaching city with some trepidation. They had been dragged away from her Mother’s estate the last time they were here with no explanation, note or word to her. It wasn’t there fault—but she’d never see it that way. She’d assume Tina had run off (again!), and she’d be more than annoyed—she’d be angry. Tina, of course, had not taken the chance to call and make things alright since they’d been gone. She’d put it off as long as possible and now would have to face the Countess Winema Wazzo in person.
“Try not to look like your dreading it too much,” smiled Tatiana, who came over to her side.
“Is it that obvious?”
“I’m not quite sure it could be anymore so. I’d like to tell you it won’t be that bad, but well, I’ve met your mother,” she smiled.
Tina smiled back. “Yeah. She’ll be thrilled I’ve brought my friends back with me too.”
“Glad we can be of service to you,” said Tatiana. Neither of the girls were sure when it had happened, but they had begun to grow closer as friends. Perhaps it was because Jacquie had gone and left a vacuum in the group, or perhaps a mutual animosity towards one another had grown into a friendship as sometimes oddly happened among teenage girls.
“You can always stay aboard,” said the ghost of the Black Pirate who was hovering behind them. “I certainly wouldn’t mind,” he added. He was devilishly handsome and very charming, the combination of his being twice their age and one of the deceased continued to creep out both girls.
“I’d rather face wrath of the Countess,” said Tatiana and the two girls giggled.
------------------------------
They arrived at Castle Wazzo shortly thereafter, Blok using his means to disappear into the Earth and reappear within the grounds. Further introductions were a part he would not play, it appeared. Mon instantly wished he could do the same, but figured he owed it to the rest of them to endure the likely twenty or thirty minute scolding Countess Wazzo would give them.
In truth, Mon had no use for authority of any sort in this age. By 20 years old in his time, there were very few you still had to answer to, and he didn’t care if some of these elders were parents of his friends, dignitaries or financiers of their war. Authority held no meaning to him when it was someone else’s. But for Tatiana, who he knew was only enduring this as a show of friendship for Tina, he’d stay anyway.
They entered, as they did once before, and at once, they could feel the atmosphere of tension and awkwardness. Dawnstar looked at Tenz with a quizzical eyebrow raised. “Why the formalities?” she asked.
His reply was to the point: “Stick by me, babe, and I’ll take care of you.” She rolled her eyes.
“Tina,” said a familiar icey voice that gave them all the image of icewater running through the Countess’ veins like blood. “How good of you to come back, stopping by whenever it’s convenient for you.” Tina closed her eyes tightly almost hoping when they reopened the Countess would be gone. “And you’ve brought your little friends. How utterly exciting.”
“She doesn’t sound too excited…” whispered Tenz to Dirk. Once more Dirk marveled at the luxurious castle that Tina was raised in. He was by no means poor growing up (quite the opposite) but even he marveled at the life of leisure Tina, Jacquie and Tatiana had known their whole lives. He could only imagine how Tenz felt.
Tatiana stood by Tina’s side, hoping to lend her some support. Tina opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off. “I apologize for not having any guests you can interrupt this time, though you’ll find some of them are still around. They’ll rejoice to be able to see me embarrassed not once, but two times, by my daughter, the Legionnaire.”
“Mother, we haven’t just been gallivanting around Europe, we’ve—“
“Yes, where have you been?” said a male voice, and now they all turned.
Tatiana, who had stood by Tina to lend some support, suddenly felt her heart drop. Her eyes went wide and she realized she couldn’t control the shock no her face.
“I dare say, Tatiana, you’ve given me quite the scare. Where have you been?” All of them turned to Tatiana, as she stared straight at this man in front of them. He was roughly 6’1’’, good looking and clean-cut, dressed in an expensive business suit and had the look of a traditional conservative British businessman, lacking in any good humor.
“Hello Daddy,” she said.
---------------------------
Mon watched on with great interest, as Tatiana walked over to her father and opened her arms out to give him a hug. She looked both relieved and on the verge of tears (happy ones?) but also very scared—to the point where she was trembling in fact. Was this the same girl who held off the Khundian army and Mordru’s forces no more than two weeks earlier?
“What happened to your skin?” he asked, accepting her hug with a half-hearted hug of his own, his face in shock at her blue-skinned appearance. Mon was trying to feel him out.
“You see Tina,” began the Countess again. “Mr. Mallor here, like myself has been extremely worried about his daughter too. You might not care about how I feel, but you should consider your friends as well when you go trouncing off for another night on the town.”
“Mother, I—“
“And may I also present, Mr. George Bratianu of Moldavia,” the Countess added, pointing towards another man in a business suit, this one with a very distinct Eastern European look. “He would like to speak with your Princess Jacqueline, who eloquently introduced herself into worldly affairs on your last visit.” Apparently, Jacquie’s interest in politics had angered the Countess somewhat. “She is, after all, a surviving Princess like yourself Tina, and her country and people would very much like to ensure she is alright. Just because she isn’t’ running the country doesn’t mean she isn’t important to its welfare.”
“That’s not good,” said Dirk to Tenz since Jacquie was nowhere insight and was probably reaching New York City by now.
“Jacquie’s not with us anymore, mother,” said Tina in a voice so icey that it stunned the others. Apparently she could give the Countess a taste of her own medicine. “My apologies, sir,” she said to Mr. Bratainu, bowing as she did so in a way extremely graceful but sarcastic enough in its formality to enrage her mother. “When I speak to her next, I shall inform her of your arrival here.” She turned to her mother and they were locked eye to eye, silently. They could here Mr. Mallor say another comment about Tatiana’s skin off to the side, and Tenz could be heard whispering to Dirk and Dirk elbowing him in the ribs to shut him up. “If that is all,” said Tina firmly, and then she began to walk out of the entrance way towards her quarters.
“You and I will speak privately dear,” said the Countess a moment later and the others took that cue to get out of the Countess’ way immediately.
----------------------------
Entering Tina’s huge bedroom, with its private room off the side that could seat a dozen people, they all sighed relief. Tatiana had stayed behind with her father, and Mon considered walking back out and joining her. He certainly wasn’t going to ask permission.
“That should be a pleasant talk with you mom,” said Dirk to Tina to give a little levity and her look said in no uncertain terms “I hate it here”.
“At least they have parents to come here…” said Tenz suddenly gloomily. Dirk and Tina felt bad about that, remembering Tenz’ father had died not too long ago, murdered by the Persuader.
“Tenz, forgive me!” said Maziah suddenly and loudly, surprising them all, as it was uncharacteristic for her to make such an outburst.
“You didn’t tell him?” said Dawnstar with a smile, sensing this would be a nice moment.
“Tell me what?”
“Your mother, Tenz,” said Maziah smiling. “Dawnstar and I met her. She’s with Marla Latham now. So is your brother. She’s okay.”
Tenz was quiet for a moment, taking it all in, and soon his eyes began to water. “R-really…?”
“Yes,” said Maziah walking closer to him and hugging him. “She’s doing alright. She’s healthy and rested, and she’s beautiful. You don’t need to worry about her any longer. She’s with Marla Latham now.”
Tenz hugged her back fiercely, trying to hide his tears from Dirk and the others. Dirk and Mon took it as a cue and left the room silently, as Tina followed to go see her mother. Dawnstar smiled and watched them.
Maziah and Dawnstar told Ten Zil all about his mother, and seeing Baksheesh, the boy called Kid Psycho, and even the blue-firred German boy named Nightcrawler all with Marla Latham. Tenz said little for once in his life, taking it all in, feeling the pangs of relief setting in. Maybe Dirk was right and things were looking up.
-----------------------
Dirk walked with Mon and Tina silently for a minute and Tina turned to go see her mother, waving without a word with a slight frown on her face. Mon nodded and Dirk waved back.
“Parent issues, eh?” said Dirk to Mon.
Mon not being much of a talker, shrugged. “Everyone has them,” he said. “I miss my father greatly,” he added. “He was a good man. I miss my mother too” That was all he said on the subject. They walked some more. “I’m going to see if Tatiana is okay,” he said at last, turning away from Dirk.
“Mon.” Mon turned to Dirk who called to him quickly. “Don’t get too involved in it,” he said. “Trust me—never come between a girl and her father. Ever.”
Mon smiled. “I know good advice when I hear it,” he nodded.
Dirk walked alone now trying to smile to himself. He couldn’t. Tina’s mother was brutal, he knew that, and Tatiana probably was having an awkward conversation with her father, but at least they were both here. Did his father even know he was missing? Did he even care? Deep down, he suspected he did not on both accounts. His father had stopped caring the day of the accident.
He walked along the hallways some more, feeling sorry for himself and hating himself for feeling that way.
“Dirk?” he heard his name being called, at first not sure if he had imagined it. He almost thought it might have been his Dad, but quickly processed through is brain it was female. “Dirk?” he heard again, and realized it wasn’t any of the girls in his group. He turned.
“Gigi?” he said, and saw at once it was Gigi Cusimano, who he knew very well. Gigi worked for Bruce Wayne, who essentially took care of him these days. She was only (20) years old, but was really the one who took care of him. He hadn’t seen her in ages only really talking to her by phone or email. “Gigi!” he said again, smiling.
“Dirk, where the hell have you been?” she said, but she was laughing somewhat. She was an intern at Wayne Enterprises and her real job was to be in charge of Dirk. She walked over and hugged him tightly.
Dirk blushed a little, having a crush on her since he was about fourteen years old when he first met her, and she was a seventeen year old intern. She was very attractive and very smart too, which was why she had been interning at Wayne Enterprises since late high school and still was in college. “Well, you know, adventuring around…” he replied, trying to sound dashing.
“Dirk,” said another voice, this one deeper, definitely a man’s. His Dad? No. But who…?
“Dirk,” said Gigi in a whisper and her tone was suddenly serious. “Bruce is here. He flew to Austria to see you…”
Dirk’s eyes went wide. Standing before him, in a crisp business suit was the young man in control of Wayne Enterprises at the age of 24. Before him was Bruce Wayne.
[ March 31, 2008, 08:04 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
“So now they’re back in Vienna?” said Interpol Chief Zendack over the phone.
“Yes, they’ve just arrived back here. I’m going to try to make contact shortly.”
“Good. Proceed, but with caution, Agent Ontirr. Do not forget that among their number are princesses and celebrities and I cannot exaggerate what my anger would be if I see your face on the evening news.”
“You won’t.”
------------------------------
“Bruce?”
“Hello Dirk,” he smiled and it was both warm and intimidating at the same time.
“Bruce—what…what are you doing here…?” was all Dirk could get out and he immediately regretted it. He was so sure it would be his father. He couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“A trifle awkward, Master Bruce,” said a voice from behind Bruce Wayne, which Dirk immediately knew was Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler officially, but much more than that realistically. Dirk knew this because at one time in his life, Bruce Wayne was very close to him.
“Dirk, Bruce came all the way to Austria to see you. He’s worried about you,” said Gigi. Dirk turned to look at her, and he could see it was she that was worried about him. “You’ve been out of touch for awhile.”
Dirk knew these people cared about him, but he couldn’t escape the feeling that he was being ganged up on. Bruce caught that immediately. “The Countess contacted me, Dirk,” said Bruce, now walking over to Dirk so he’d be right next to him. “She contacted your father and he contacted me. You’ve basically been impossible to find in the last few months. You’re a teenager traveling in foreign countries, which is worrisome enough, and now the Countess is telling me all kinds of things which seem completely outrageous.” As Bruce Wayne was saying this, Dirk felt as if the calmness in his voice made it seem that Bruce didn’t exactly think these things the Countess was telling him really were all that outrageous. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Dirk looked at Bruce who was in front of him now, and realized it had been at least two, if not more, years since he had last seen him. Bruce had to be about twenty-four now, possibly twenty-five, although being in his presence you felt like he was thirty. He was extremely handsome, but had a very conservative, reserved air about him in person (which you would never know by his portrayal in the media as a billionaire playboy). He dressed in the finest business suits, and they were usually darker colors. Dirk believed this was because Bruce was still in morning and always would be. Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed when hew as just a boy.
It had made him a very hard man sometimes, and Dirk couldn’t help but feel Bruce was always calculating his thoughts as they came in. But Dirk did know that Bruce Wayne intervened when no one else would—when his father had all but stopped caring, and made sure he could provide Dirk with some semblance of a normal and fulfilling childhood. As Dirk looked back at Bruce Wayne, who knew all about Dirk’s accident and abilities, he honestly believed he was looking at a friend.
“I’m okay,” he said at last, and a smile came onto his face. “I…I kinda thought my dad would show up.” Gigi sighed to his side, but then tried to cover it up before Dirk could hear her (to no avail). “I’ve been traveling…” he began and Bruce cocked an eyebrow up. “The Countess has probably told you some crazy stories…”
“Indeed,” said Alfred Pennyworth, who although remained placid, appeared to be smiling on the inside.
--------------------------------
“Daddy,” said Tatiana softly, “please stop looking at me like that.”
Michael Mallor couldn’t help but stare at his only daughter. Like most teenagers, she had grown noticeably since he last saw her, although usually most fathers saw their daughters much more than he ever did his own. But in this case, his daughter Tatiana had the oddest change he’d ever heard of: her skin had turned pale blue.
A tear came down her cheek. After thinking she’d gotten over this change weeks ago, every ounce of embarrassment and self-consciousness over this change came flooding back to her.
“I’m sorry Tati,” he said at last. “It will take some getting used to, no doubt.” He forced a smile, and when she immediately could tell he was forcing it, a real smile came at last.
Michael Mallor was not a bad person. It was that he was just a bad father. His family had been a prominent family in Bristol for centuries, and he was born into a life of privilege. Early in life, he had decided to forego all of the odd mysticism and eccentricities of his family line and become successful and famous for more appropriate reasons. Thus, he had become one of England’s major businessmen, running a Hedge Fund in Bristol that required non-stop work hours and travel, but which also made him a multi-billionaire. As the stress of such large deals increased over time, business had become his life. When his wife passed away ten years ago, his family life as a whole pretty much did.
But he still loved his daughter. “Your gran was a trifle eccentric,” he said about his own mother. “She’d have a real interest in this.”
Tatiana smiled back at last. She, of course, had spoken to her gran many times through the shadows she controlled, but figured now would not be the best time to tell her father that. “Daddy, I’m quite alright,” she said. “I’ve got this wonderful group of friends and we’ve been—“
“Tatiana,” said her father incredulously. “You don’t honestly think you’re going to continue on as you’ve been? You can’t drop your life in the middle of a school year and just go off trouncing around Europe, and if the Countess is correct, Asia. You’re a teenage girl.”
Tatiana felt the fury that served her so well in Khundia and Siberia boiling back up into her throat. “How good of you to notice,” she said crisply.
Her words stung her father. Suddenly they heard footsteps coming down the hall, and both turned. Walking toward them was Monius Elysius. Tatiana suddenly inhaled deeply. The last thing she needed right now was for Mon to meet her father.
--------------------------
“How is your education coming along, dear?” said Winema to Tina Wazzo, with just enough dripping iciness to make her daughter want to throw a tantrum.
“Oh mother, its coming along quite well,” she replied. “Just the other week, I learned a great deal on the subtle art of using your wealth and luxurious lifestyle to influence politicians to vote in your favor.” The implication was obvious.
“I see,” said Winema, turning to the servants. “Be sure Relnic, Maya and Gil’ Deshi are kept far away from my daughter. I can only imagine what insult she’d hurl at them, and they work hard enough without a teenager telling them how crude they are in their work ethic.”
“The Ambassadors are still here?” asked Tina.
“Of course,” said Winema. “Not all of them, but some have stayed a trifle longer to discuss other matters. Why should you care Tina,” she followed up, “you’ve never shown an interest in worldly affairs in your life.”
Tina said little, but couldn’t help but return to thoughts that had been going on in her brain for the last few weeks. There was a spy in the United Nations working directly for Mordru. Most likely encouraging Mordru’s plans. Part of her, as guilty as it made her feel, couldn’t help but suspect her own mother. The magic connection was too strong to be coincidental. But could her mother, as awful as she could be sometimes, ever truly do such a thing?
“Fine Tina,” said her mother at last, wrongly taking Tina’s thoughtful silence for something colder. “You can see the delegates if you like. I admit that I am glad you’re taking an interest in them.”
----------------------------
“Daddy,” said Tatiana, gulping as if to take a deep breath before a plunge into the ocean, “This is Monius Elysius, but we simply call him Mon. He’s…” she looked at Mon, whose face remained as unreadable as ever, “…a very good friend of mine.”
“Oh?” replied Michael Mallor, sizing up Mon, obviously trying to read his body language to see if this boy—man rather, as he was obviously a few years older than Tatiana—had more than just friendship in mind with his daughter. “Monius Elysius? Are your parents historians?” he said, making a joke to himself.
“No,” said Mon-El, extending his hand, “they were…farmers,” he added, thinking of the correct word to convey what his parents really were. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Mon-El, purposely not using the word ‘Sir’.
“Well Mon,” said Mr. Mallor, who suddenly stopped being Michael Mallor the father and was now Michael Mallor the businessman, “perhaps you can shed some light on what you all have been doing these last few months. Tatiana oddly keeps avoiding the subject, but the Countess made it clear you’ve been to Asia, across Europe, even Russia at some point.” As he spoke, he shook Mon’s hand and tried to add more pressure than usual in his grip—and failed utterly, considering whose hand he was shaking.
“We’ve traveled a good deal,” said Mon, “and there’s still plenty more of this world to see. I’m looking forward to it.” Mon immediately regretted coming here. Obviously Dirk was right—this wasn’t any of his business. Shady was beyond uncomfortable and the father obviously didn’t care for him.
“The world’s always changing,” said Michael Mallor, “but it will still be there when you’re all a bit older. I’m not sure its appropriate for a group of unsupervised teenagers to be traveling across the globe.”
Mon smiled coolly. “The world changes and we must change with it,” he said, as if a private joke to himself. “I apologize for the interruption. I’ll leave you both alone.” With that, he turned around and began to walk out.
Tatiana was thankful Mon was leaving but immediately felt horrible. This little meeting wasn’t fair to her father or Mon.
----------------------------
“So your modeling career is on hold?” said Bruce to Dirk, as they sat down and enjoyed a hot cup of coffee. Dirk was aware that Bruce hardly ever drank alcohol, which was yet another bit of media misinformation.
“More like over completely,” said Dirk, which surprised Gigi but didn’t seem to phase Bruce. “It seemed fun when I was fourteen. But…it seems a bit unimportant to me now.”
“What do you plan to do next then, Dirk?” asked Gigi surprised.
Bruce just looked at Dirk, as if seeing right through him and reading him completely.
Dirk turned to Gigi, who looked at pretty as ever, with short auburn hair. She was dressed in a woman’s business suit with a long skirt. But her body language suggested she cared for Dirk. Perhaps more than just friendly affection? “I’ve…got some other things on my plate…” he said.
“Gigi,” said Bruce suddenly. “Could you give Dirk and I a few minutes?” She looked surprised. “We need to talk about…well, guy stuff.”
“Okay…” she said, and got up and left. Alfred also left the room.
“Dirk,” said Bruce, looking at him directly in the eyes. “I know everything. And I want you to retell it to me from your point of view. Including what comes next.”
--------------------------
Outside, in the courtyard where the Demon Etrigan once ambushed him, Blok stood feeling the cold breeze and enjoying it. Maziah was with him once again, and Dawnstar, her new friend, was also with them. Maziah sat in silence, meditating and concentrating on her spells, until at last she stood up.
“We begin anew,” he said to her. “You are immensely powerful, and you know this, but now the time has come for you to begin learning how to use that power wisely and efficiently. I can only teach you so much, as magic has never been one of my tools. But I can teach you this: you must learn to act rather than react, and learn to be a cause rather than just an effect.”
Dawnstar said nothing, just looking on curiously.
Maziah smiled to him. “Have you missed my singing Blok?” she said with a smile. “Have you thought of it at all?” Her face had a touch of sadness to it. “Or have you thought solely about my father in our time apart.”
Blok was silent. “I missed your singing greatly, Maziah. I would be honored to hear it again, when we complete this exercise.”
“Then we have a deal,” she smiled. “What is it you need me to do?”
Blok said nothing. Maziah tilted her head, quizzically, looking at him. Blok looked back, humorless, still saying nothing. The silence pierced the courtyard suddenly, as Maziah turned to Dawnstar looking for some answer.
“Neither she or I can tell you what to do next Maziah. You must act.”
Maziah suddenly felt uncomfortable. As she often felt in her youth, she felt infinitesimally small. And more—she felt her father—looming larger than life over her. She began to concentrate, looking for some sort of answer through her magic, but had no idea what question she was supposed to be asking.
Frustrated, she suddenly felt annoyed at Blok. Why did he speak in riddles—what did he mean? She knew where her father was—in Zerox, the Secret City. And she was here, in Austria, not far away at all, but unsure of what steps needed to be taken to help them in the battle that now seemed to be inevitable.
She felt her white magic flow through her, and as it grew, she floated effortlessly into the air, pushing it in the direction of her father, as if to sense his presence and make sure he was still there. His magical aura was immense and she could feel him there, though this was due to her immense power as well. She was her father’s daughter, there was no doubt. Using her ability to detect magic across such a distance gave her access to others in her vicinity, and at once she saw Tina talking to her mother Winema; saw the Black Pirate Jon Valor docked in his ship at the harbor, and saw Tatiana uncomfortably talking to her father. More, she could sense other magic from here to Zerox—could feel the various others within the secret city, including Mordru’s most trusted agents. Yet, she could also feel the presence of another, somewhere in between, another who was immensely strong, who became aware of her ability to touch him. Occult was what he was called. The Doctor of the Occult. He would be aware of her now.
And then yet another. Another presence, whose magic power was immense. But there was something else. This other was enormous and enormously ferocious. She could feel its seething anger and hatred. She could feel its…inclination for destruction. At last an image began to form in her mind. She could see it for what it really was. Not a man, or a woman, or a person at all.
She could see a Dragon. The Dragon. Somewhere from Vienna to Zerox, she could feel it, and had no doubt it could feel her. Mordru’s Dragon.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by ProtyII: The crew of the Japanese whaler was excited. This would be the biggest whale they had ever caught! They chased it for over a day before they finally harpooned the giant creature and brought it to the surface.
"That's no whale," cried the Captain. "That's GODZILLA!" ----------
The rescue ships searched the waters for days looking for survivors of the ill-fated whaler. So far they had only found three. One was near death, the other refused to say anything about what had happened, while the third was obviously driven mad by the experience. All he would do is scream "GODZILLA" and hide beneath the covers.
They were just about to call off the search when one of the helicopters spotted a bizarre sight: a teenaged boy clinging to his surfboard in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
In the aftermath of its battle with the whaling ship, the radioactive sea creature had disgorged young Jose Rimbaud, but the experience had forever altered the California surfer.
Names he’d had many. Legends he’d had more.
In his long lifespan, he’d seen the rise and fall of civilizations, sometimes participating, but always in the latter.
At the edge of every map, references were made to where he might still be: here, there could be danger, and here could be your end.
Glaurung was older than most any other that still existed, save for the Lord he worshipped as his personal deity, if such a concept could be applied to dragons. If he was the first, no one could prove or disprove it. But he was the oldest living dragon and had been so since before historical record and indeed, in living memory or legend. Because of this, Glaurung was known as the “Father of all Dragons”.
His enormous girth was impossible to comprehend, and beyond measure or analysis; for each person saw Glaurung differently, and each person’s mind could only translate a part of him, never the whole. After countless centuries of perfectly his glamour, he now effortlessly used it on all who might gaze at him, whether he returned their gaze or not.
His skin leathery and slimy, but by now had become coated in a fleece made of gold, silver, bronze and diamond, after spending numerous long slumbers sitting on the large hordes he’d accumulated from each fallen civilization. He cared for two things in this world, and the most burning of these two desires was for the accumulation of treasure. When legends of such items reached the stature of legends about him, he would hear of them—and then seek out such treasure. Chalices, spears, swords, gold. Scripture, skeletons, crowns and his favorite—rings.
One thousand years ago, the men of the North Lands called him Fafnir. Most feared him, some gave him worship. He gave them misery and despair. For this was his second greatest desire: to meddle in the affairs of men and to bring them terror and loathing. To bring them utter despair.
Eight hundred years ago, he spent many years in the East, terrorizing both farmer and Lord. Sometimes he’d use his fiery breath to cleanse man with fire. Sometimes he’d simply use riddles and charms to make man cleanse himself.
Sometimes he’d use his massive frame. For his claws were sharp as razors and as large as children, and his teeth were sharper and dripped poison. His tail was devastating and left no ship unsunk, and to hear him roar was to ensure one’s remaining nights would never be spent asleep for long periods of time without remembering that fury.
Glaurung, father of the Dragons, was known by many names by all civilizations. In olden days, when Mordru was plainly at war with the world, he would indulge himself in building these legends, for he was vain creature indeed. In recent centuries, as Mordru choose to work in secret, Glaurung was forced to do the same—but even then, he could not appease his own vanity and desire for gold, and still would venture into the world to cause havoc and suffering.
For such was the power of Glaurung that not even the Dark Lord Mordru could exert total control on him.
------------------------------
Maziah saw the Dragon with her spell of magical detection and knew of its importance immediately. Here was one with power enough itself to destroy her. Here was one who could turn the tide of battle.
Like a vacuum, the beast’s magic drew her to it. Drew her to look further, to discover the beauty of the dragon, to love it, to worship it.
She denied it, but at once realized that Mordru allowed it to be loose on the world—surely a sign that times were coming to either an end, or a change.
She would have to confront it. She would have to do so now.
She began to rise up into the air, letting her magical spell evolve into another, to take her to it.
“Blok?” said Dawnstar, watching on.
“This will not be easy on her,” said Blok, sinking into the Earth, using his own means.
“Shit,” said Dawnstar, flying into the air, to follow Maziah.
Suddenly Mon-El was by her side. “I’m coming with you,” he said, apparently preferring not to say in Vienna.
“I’m not sure where we’re going…” replied Dawnstar, unaware of the danger she was heading towards.
------------------------------
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: They did a prime job in dumping him too. Real top notch. No one seemed to know a thing about him—not that he was waking up anytime soon. Then he swore a voice hit him like a hammer one day: WAKE UP JOE. And he did. The first thing he thought of: not that cop, breaking his nose and taking his cash. Not Sergio getting gunned down or Ana Maria ratting him out to his buddies. Not even McCauley using him, or Enrapture truly using him. The first thing he thought of was he had it coming. Because he forgot. He forgot the rules of the streets.
Not long after he made it to San Francisco, and met up with Dr. Mayavale. Mayavale was a bit of a legend among the younger community in San Francisco, but that was a story for another day. “Joe”, as he now went by, complete with new restructured artificial face and all, was just bunking at Mayavale’s until he got back on his feet. Mayavale had lots of psychological prescriptions for Joe, to help him get over his issues, but Joe knew that wasn’t what he needed. As far as he was concerned, Surfer Jo and José Rimbaud were dead and gone, both with Joe’s old face and past. McCauley had screwed up who he was with the authorities so well that he had a fresh start.
Where to next? Ha...Rule #1 of the Streets: Never let them know what you’re thinking
Parma, Sicily
Flying over the countryside, Glaurung allowed himself to be seen by those below, causing fear and doubts of sanity below. He flew up into the sky, turned in a loop and came back below to unleash fire on the people below, before he continued on to Zerox, the Secret City, in hopes of gaining a real target he could at last pick apart.
As fire purged the Earth, the figure known as Blok grew forth from the blackened soil below, looking up at the Ancient Dragon, which he had seen on multiple occasions before. Not far off, The White Witch, Mon-El and Dawnstar approached at speeds most human beings could never believe a single person could travel at, let alone fly through the air.
Blok caught Glaurung’s eye, and the large Dragon grinned widely, immediately turning, and flying back towards the freshly blackened soil of Parma’s outlying countryside. With a glamour, Glaurung decreased his size by at least half, to make it easier to converse with his enemy below.
“Hile brotherless one!” it said in a voice that would give normal human beings agony. It was enjoying the sudden appearance by its ages old enemy. “To what do I owe such an honor after these many long years?”
“The end game is coming Serpent Grandfather,” replied Blok, “you would do well to prepare yourself for it.”
Glaurung laughed out loud, using his fiery breath to spray Blok with fire, knowing it would do little harm to Blok, but would be insulting. “At last! Mayhap I see you on the battle field, rather than working in shadows like you and your ally have always done. Otherwise I’ll be forced to kill more of your knights and servants.”
“This time, Fafnir,” replied Blok, “you may be surprised yet.”
It was at this moment that Glaurung sensed her for the first time, as centuries of magic use had given him instincts in all things magic. He turned to see the White Witch approaching with her two allies. And for the briefest of moments, the Father of the Dragons knew terror himself.
“I care not whether she is his daughter,” he said at last, “I’d feast on her and suffer the consequences myself!” he finished, using his tail to smash Blok’s frame completely, though by now Blok realized his peril and had discarded his shell, which soon became little more than dust. Glaurung flew up to meet them.
“Oh my God,” said Dawnstar as she at once saw the massive dragon approaching them. “Maziah! Maziah, you don’t realize the danger!” she screamed, suddenly letting her instincts take over, as she immediately picked up her speed to move to the left, hoping to be out of the creature’s path. Pure, utter fear took over.
Maziah had snapped out of her trance and realized the creature was approaching and she too felt the fear, and began to tremble. Why in the world had she come here? What was she thinking?
“Move Maziah!” yelled Mon-El, who pushed her aside and did not appear to be trembling. Instead, he continued on his path, flying strait at the dragon, who now came at them with immense speed, its wingspan fully spread and its mouth open, exposing its razor sharp nest of teeth.
Mon flew at Glaurung who unleashed a cascade of fire-breath at him, burning away his shirt and singing his hair and burning his body, then preparing to slam its jaw shut when it grew ever closer. But Mon was not afraid of the creature. Mon-El, first and foremost, knew courage. He waited until the last minute, diving downwards and arcing up in a loop, so that he could cock his fist and hit Glaurung square in its underbelly.
Glaurung felt the blow sting him, and for the first time in centuries he felt pain. Mon-El rarely had the chance to hit something without holding back, and now he did so with full abandon. Glaurung roared deeply—enough in fact, to shake off Dawnstar and Maziah’s inability to move. With its roar, designed to stun its enemy, which it did in Mon’s case, it unleashed its large tail, which snapped at Mon-El like a massive whip, and knocked him in the chest immediately, sending him flying far off the coast of Sicily and into the Mediterranean Sea.
Mon-El felt all of the air knocked out of his lungs and for a moment believed this might be his end—only to land in the arms of another.
“I’ve got you,” said the voice, and Mon-El realized this was a man—no, a boy—who was flying and now had him in his arms. He was strong, at least enough to hold on to him. “I can’t use my strength while I’m flying, so you need to get your bearings,” said the voice.
Mon breathed in, trying to regain his composure. “…who…?” he wheezed out.
“Just hold on,” he continued. “The fact that you’re not dead means you’ve got some tough skin friend,” he added, “kind of reminds me of a girl I once knew.”
Mon looked up, to see a handsome brown-haired teenager. “I’m…alright…” he said.
“You’re far from alright, but it looks like you can stand up to pretty much anything. Still, your two lady friends are up there with Godzilla there.”
“Who are you?” said Mon, getting his breath back, and then pushing himself out of the boy’s arms so he could fly on his own. He was dazed, but recovering quickly.
“My name’s Joe,” he said, “and I’ve been following this thing for days, finally catching up to it. If I told you how I know about it, you’d never believe me—but that thing once swallowed me whole.” He looked up to see Maziah firing some ball of lightning at the dragon, while Dawnstar flew around it at amazing speed, her wings plain to see from where they were. “Just when I thought I was done with super-heroes forever…” he smiled.
“Thanks for the save Joe,” said Mon, turning to fly back after the dragon. Joe followed him.
“I guess if we’re going to be friends, you better call me Ultraboy.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
Dawnstar flew around the Dragon with her speed at the highest it could go, becoming a blur to Maziah and even to the dragon itself, whose eyesight was far superior to that of a normal everyday human. Glaurung swung a claw at her, and missed, and Dawnstar never realized that if contact had been made, it would have been her end.
The White Witch, now with her composure regained, hovered before it, still floating magically, as the Dragon decreased the speed at which it traveled at. “Dragon Lord, you know who I am!” she yelled. “I command you to heal!”
The dragon laughed loudly. “No,” he said in its deep throaty voice, as it suddenly grabbed Maziah with a hand, and pulled it close. “You have made a dreadful error, daughter of Mordru,” it said to her, “for I heal to no one.”
Suddenly Mon-El and Ultraboy smashed into Glaurung from the side, Ultraboy changing from flight to super-strength at the last moment, revealing a strength level that could rival Mon-El’s. The combined power knocked the dragon forward ten feet, and caused it to release Maziah, whom Dawnstar picked up immediately.
“Not bad,” said Mon to Ultraboy, “so you are strong.”
“Not as strong as you Superman,” replied Joe, switching back to flight to stop from falling. “But I need to concentrate. Because if that thing hits me, I’m dead unless I go invulnerable…”
Glaurung swung around, now outraged. “What could you hope to accomplish, young witch?” it yelled in outrage, and its voice caused Dawny, Joe and Mon to feel an immediate dizziness.
Maziah did not feel it. “To deliver a message,” she said at last, and for the first time this battle, she felt her confidence renewing. She held her arms out, locking her hands together and thought of the many spells her father had taught her in her youth, when she first showed an apt for magic. “My father kidnapped my friends, and assaulted us with his many agents! He has vampires, and warriors, and human beings too. But you are his strongest agent, and I am here to deliver a message,” she continued.
Glaurung once more unleashed fire on them all, showering them and by all rights killing them, but the fire bounced off a white magical shield Maziah had erected before them.
“My father,” she said at last, “does not have me. And that will be enough.” With that, she unleashed a bolt of white light, white enough to have the absence of any color, blasting Glaurung. Except it did not blast him as an aggressive projectile, but instead, split in two and wrapped around him, first horizontally and once more when both ends appeared to touch, splitting again vertically, as if to bind the dragon. “Go now, back to Zerox, and know that your journey there is done via the White Witch,” she said. “I announce myself to my father at last. I, Maziah bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal, will be what they called me in my youth—the White Witch of Zerox. And I now reveal my opposition to my father in his coming war, and I shall see him on the battlefield.
The binding white beams around Glaurung began to expand at these words and Glaurung looked at her eyes. “I shall have vengeance on you for this insult,” he said, “but I know Mordru will be forced to take that vengeance himself for this formal proclamation. You have started an avalanche child. It pleases me to know you will suffer…”
With that, the white beams exploded into light, and Maziah’s spell was completed, as the massive dragon was banished back to Zerox.
Maziah fell immediately, only to be caught by Joe, as she soon faded into unconsciousness. The spell was immense, and took more out of her than she would have guessed. She began to shake in her sleep and Joe grew worried, until Mon-El flew next to him and told him it was alright.
Mon understand, while Joe and Dawny did not. Maziah formally proclaimed her stance against her father. Mordru may have declared war on humanity, but Maziah just declared war back on Mordru. Such proclamations held immense power, and to do so against the Father of the Dragons only made it more so.
It wouldn’t be long now.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ian Lad: Andy walked home, as always trying not to draw much attention to himself, and after twenty minutes arrive at the apartment building he shared with Conal (or Kon, the nickname he gave himself for some reason unknown to Andy) and Douglas. Before he entered, he noticed a black sports car, which no one in the apartment could possibly afford, parked in the lot. With a watchful eye out for everything out of the ordinary, he began climbing the stairs to the fifth floor, where their apartment was located. As he did so, his body began to change. His skin began to change, turning a dullish gray. His steps became heavier, and were now impossibly (for human feet, anyway) loud. Once at his apartment door, he began hearing unknown voices emanating from the other side. Expecting the worst, Andrew entered. Inside, he found his two roommates, along with two men in black carrying guns and a black woman.
“Hello, Andrew”, said the short female, who could only be described as heavy. “We’ve been expecting you. Amanda Waller, Department of Extranormal Operations.”
quote:Originally posted by Ian Lad: “We were just talking about you, your friends and I,” said the woman named Amanda Waller.
“What do you want?” asked Andy, barely keeping his sudden anger in check.
“They boys upstairs need help. Superhuman help. We need you to provide it.”
“Superhuman?” asked Douglas. “You mean like superpowers? What makes you think we have them?”
Without warning, one of the men in black took out a handgun and shot Kon three times. The shots were perfectly aimed, but while Kon’s t-shirt had three new holes in it, he himself was intact. He opened the fist he had made, and out fell three disfigured bullets.
“Tactile Telekinesis,” Amanda said. “The closest thing the people at Cadmus came to replicating the alien’s powers.” She looked at Kon and the eyes. “You’re the spitting image of him, you know. You’re not his clone, but the resemblance is incredible."
“Waitwaitwait,” said Kon. “I’m a clone?”
“Yes,” answered Amanda. “ Starting about a year ago, Cadmus has been trying to create supersoldiers, based on the genetic template of an alien that arrived on Earth about 17 years ago. Unfortunately, Cadmus couldn’t crack the genetic code, and every attempt to clone him resulted in subhuman bizarre aliens. Later on, after twelve attempts, they decided on another approach; instead of cloning the alien, they would clone a human, but with the genetic code altered to resemble the alien’s as much as possible. This procedure met with more success, and you were born. Had everything gone normally, you would have been artificially grown to adulthood, and your mind would have been programmed, with slavery protocols, making you nothing more than a puppet. Fortunately for you, though, Douglas here, who was at the time escaping from the Project, freed you before either of those things could happen."
Kon attempted to remain calm while he absorbed all that new information. While he didn’t have any memories of a life before Cadmus, he had always assumed that he was some kind of experiment in genetic manipulation. He didn’t think he’d actually been born last year, at age fifteen, and that all his memories of a time before that were fake. “Fine, so we have powers. But what if we don’t want to help you?” asked Kon.
“Oh, you’ll want to. You see, we know all about your criminal activities since you were all freed, and it would be the easiest thing in the world to send you to prison, or worse, all the way back to Cadmus. We know you don’t want that.”
“You’re bluffing,” said Douglas, as he lit up a cigarette and started smoking through his helmet. “You don’t have the power to take us down. If you did, you wouldn’t need us at all.”
“Touché,” said Amanda, still confident despite this apparent flaw on her plan.
“And what if we do agree?” asked Kon.
“Well, if you agree to being drafted, we’ll forget all of your past indiscretions. Plus, we’ll erase all of your records from your captors’ databases, and we’ll give you the standard hundred thousand dollars per mission. Oh, and you’ll also have access to our state of the art medical facilities, should you ever need them.” She looked at Andrew and Douglas as she said that last part.
“Okay, Waller, here’s the deal,” started Kon, with an air of authority in his voice. “Me and Douglas are interested. Andrew, not so much, so he’ll be staying here. You have a problem with that?”
“None at all,” responded Amanda, not at all surprised at their demands. “I expected that much.” She then sat up and began to leave. “Well, boys, I’ll come by and pick you up tomorrow for your briefing. Do not even think of moving someplace else, because I will find you, and, make no mistake, there will be consequences. Oh, and welcome to the Suicide Squad.”
quote:Originally posted by Ian Lad: Metropolis Mall, two weeks later. Kon and Douglas sat at a table in the food court, along two of his new Suicide Squad teammates, Jacques Foccart, his sister, Danielle Foccart, and Anne "Kono" Schlar. It was the day of their first mission, and they were all reviewing their parts before curtain call.
"Okay, team," asked Jacques, a strong, built man in his forties. "Everybody remember their part?"
"Yeah, yeah, we remember," said Anne, as she played with her light blue hair. Ah get you, Doug, and your sister inside Legion HQ, and she disables/hacks into the computer system while we search for useful info. Doug acts as security for Dani, and Kon is backup for when this whole thing blows up in our faces."
"Right, thank you, Anne. Any questions?" When nobody answered, he continued. "Code names?"
Kon: "Tetsuo" Doug: "Ferro" Anne: "Kono, like always." Danielle: "Oracle."
"And I'm 'Fantomas' mission leader," finished Jacques. "Remember to always use them during the mission. We cannot afford to be caught." He paused for a second, and then continued. "Okay, people, the mission starts in two hours, so I suggest you get some rest and prepare yourselves. You're dismissed."
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Khundia was not a large country, but it had a long history. On the northeastern part of Africa, once included in the Mediterranean Ancient World but now seen as largely a part of the Middle East by the international community at large, Khundia still was very much a mystery to the rest of the world. Largely a desert area with pockets of hospitable villages, the majority of Khundia culture, politics and business took place in the capital city, which was built on a lush oasis that proved to be very fertile and very beautiful. It was here that Spirit watched the sunset, providing an exotic view of the lush oasis city and its historic buildings and monuments, while stretching far enough into the distance to capture the desert in the rich reddish-orange color of the sunset. Spirit had never seen a dessert before and did not ever consider it could be as pretty as it was at that very instant.
“What’s their status?”
“Radio silence as ordered ma’am. But our tracking sensors show they made contact thirty minutes ago. No alarm signals back to us. Looks like all is according to plan.”
“Good. Get Faraday on the line.”
“Yes ma’am,” replied the soldier. He knew full well Amanda Waller was not to be trifled with.
Amanda Waller, dressed in a full business suit, as usual, looked into the various computer screens on the walls in front of her, with satellite images available. They could only get the most difficult of images to capture in Khundia, and it enraged her. Goddamn Russians were intercepting and blocking their signals—again. She had minimal staff in front of her, which was how she liked it. The less people who knew about Task Force X, the better. Especially this mission, which was highly illegal and broke all kinds of international law. Should the United Nations ever know about it, President Luthor made it very clear he’d be forced to hang Amanda out to dry.
“Faraday,” said a voice. It was King Faraday. King Faraday, a handsome middle-aged man in his 50’s that was still in excellent physical condition. He was the United State’s most important spy, though hardly decorated. As he liked it. He didn’t run Checkmate officially—but all the most important Checkmate missions went through him. IN reality, he very much ran Checkmate. The official top ranking officers were there simply to do take dinner requests and to take the fall when things went wrong. And having Faraday’s support in missions like these was essential.
“King, its Waller,” she said.
“I know Amanda. Go on,” he said curtly. She heard noise in the background. He was on a helicopter somewhere.
“We’ve made contact. We should be out in 30 minutes. You don’t know anything about the Suicide Squad’s mission to Checkmate. But…”
“…but Haverstrom does,” he said. King Faraday purposely had made sure a high-ranking Checkmate official knew about this mission. If the Squad was discovered or the mission went wrong, it would be Haverstrom’s ass—not Waller’s. Faraday scratched Waller’s back from time to time, and she did the same. It was the only way to make it in the spy game.
“Good,” she replied. “I wish we had added Checkmate support…” she said.
“Never gonna happen,” he added. “But I’m keeping an eye on things, don’t worry.” She could almost hear him smiling. She couldn’t help but feel that Checkmate had a man in Khundia somewhere on their payroll.
“Okay,” she finished. “Waller out.”
He hung up without replying. She covered her ass, one last time. She inhaled a deep breath. Now it was up to Foccart and the rest of the Suicide Squad. Hopefully they wouldn’t end up dead—or worse, caught.
--------------------------------
Jacques Foccart, the young man known as Fantomas, moved quietly through the streets of Khundia and slipped into his target building. He was invisible, using his ability to bend light around him. Older than the rest, he was the leader of the Suicide Squad, since it mainly consisted of a bunch of teenagers and him. Which was funny, since he was eighteen years old, and still just a teenager himself. A tremendous amount of responsibility had been dropped into his lap, and he felt the weight tremendously. The fact that he was from the neighboring country of Algeria, a product of French and African ancestory, further gave him a sense that it was his responsibility to make sure this mission went right.
Not far behind him, Kono followed, using her ability to change her density and mass so she became immaterial and phased through the walls. They quietly moved along, looking for the main room.
Khundia was a problem and the United States knew it. Luthor wanted the U.S. prepared well in advance for any possible conflict, and had given the order to Amanda Waller to send in the Suicide Squad. Khundia was infamously militarized, and Jacques and Kono could see that first hand now—there were indeed soldiers everywhere, here in the capital city.
--------------------------------
Outside, in an abandoned warehouse not far from the main stretch of buildings, three teenagers anxiously waited for orders on what to do next. They were: Tetsuo, Ferro and Oracle, the other three remaining members of the Squad, and they were impatient and nervous. They’d been on some minor missions before hand, but nothing has serious or dangerous as this.
“They think we’ll screw it up,” said Douglas Nolan, who had taken the name Ferro.
“Nah,” said Conner, “they’re used to sending in teenagers to do their dirty work. That’s all the government has always done.”
Oracle said nothing, using her powers to scan for any active computer console or other electronic devices. “Nothing…” she said, “…though obviously, this place looks lived in.”
“Probably even Khundia has homeless,” said Conner with a smile to Douglas, and they both were reminded of their days on the street with Douglas’s brother Andy, who had decided he would have no part in this. None of the three had any realization that weeks earlier, a group of super-powered teenagers and the mysterious Blok had spent their time hiding in this exact location. Which would prove to be their undoing.
The three sat there in silence now, still waiting. Waller intentionally kept them all in the dark except Jacques, who was the brother of Danielle Foccart, Oracle.
“Do you hear that?” asked Conner suddenly. He never before exhibited signs of having above normal hearing but his senses could suddenly pick up something else was there with them.
“No…” said Douglas, trying to find what Conner was talking about.
“Too bad for you,” said a voice, as Firefist, the leader of the Khundian Legion, yelled from above them. Moments earlier, Veilmist had teleported the entire Khundian Legion into the room. Firefist suddenly called forth all of the flames he could into his right hand, pulled it back and sent it flying below, spraying and covering Douglas Nolan, before he could use his power to turn to a metallic form. He fell back, horribly burned.
“Doug!” yelled Conner, suddenly in a rage. He used his telekineis, flying up as fast as he could, to nail Firefist with his fists, only to quickly realize he was flying head-first into a trap. The winged oddity known as Flederweb was ready, covering him in webbing complexly, and entrapping him so that he was helpless. Quickly, Conner tried to use his tactile telekinesis to break free, but it was to no avail—the one known as Blood Claw was upon him, hammering blow after blow so that the webbing shook free and they fell to the ground below. He continued to hammer on Conner’s face.
Oracle suddenly felt panic rush over her, and Conner fell down and she was the only one left standing, she turned to her left, deciding then and there that she would run and try to get away—and turned directly into Veilmist, who had teleported down next to her. Veilmist took no pleasure in her duty, but did it anyway—landing a hard punch into Danielle’s face, knocking her backwards. Danielle fell, and prepared to get back up as fast and possible and fight this girl, when the cruel hands of Firefist suddenly wrapped themselves around her throat.
“Don’t you dare think of it,” he said firmly, “or I will burn you to death right here.”
-------------------------------
Conner and Danielle had been caught, that Douglas Nolan knew, and he had been badly burned. Horribly burned actually, and the pain was overwhelming. It was bad, and he didn’t dare look at his reflection in any of the glass windows in the streets. They must have thought him dead, because he had somehow gotten away. He could feel the boils forming on his skin. He paused, took of his mask, and vomited. He tossed the mask aside. It was useless to him now.
He stumbled forward some more, only to see soldiers rounding the corner. This was it, he was done. Turning metallic, he rushed forward, and bullets fired off of him, spraying in other directions. He grabbed the first soldier and snapped his neck, killing him instantly. They were screaming now, firing blindly.
He thought about going back to his flesh and letting them kill him.
Suddenly the soldiers all became super-dense, unable to hold up their body weight, and fell to the ground. Kono appeared, though she was bleeding from her upper-lip. “K-Kono…?”
“No time,” she said, “either we’re not very good, or we’ve been set-up. Let’s go…”
“OK…” said Doug, but then passed out, falling to the ground.
Going back to his flesh form naturally, he landed in the arms of Jacques Foccart, who had fresh bruises forming on his face. Jacques was pale white, which looked on his black skin. The decision was now his: stay in Khundia and try another suicide mission to rescue his sister, or make it back to Waller and warn her about what happened? It was an easy decision for Jacques, the man. But he had been turned into the leader of the Suicide Squad and an expert spy.
--------------------------------
Holding the dying Douglas Nolan, Jacques Foccart started his raft across the Mediterranean Sea, hoping the ship King Faraday told him would be there would be. He couldn’t trust Amanda Waller anymore, because the Squad obviously had been betrayed. But King Faraday had promised him Checkmate would support him if anything happened. He would have to hold King to that promise.
Kono had gone off on her own, like he always knew she would. How she expected to survive in Northern Africa, when she was just a fourteen year old girl, no matter how tough she was, was beyond him.
Douglas coughed, and blood was in his spit. He wasn’t going to make it. Jacques said a silent prayer, and made his way through the water. Jacques expected neither would live.
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