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!
Original post, stating the premise: Just an idea to play around with:
Reinvent the Legion as a 21st century (Earth-based) super-hero team. How would it work stripped of its futuristic sci-fi setting? What would the new origins of the characters be? What would the series be like? Should it be part of the mainstream DCU, or an alternate reality?
[ December 12, 2011, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Note, this version has been expanded by Reboot. The original post can be seen here
The Raines, a farming family from Kansas, were on holiday in the Carribbean. They had three children - Mark, the oldest, a rebellious loner; and the twins Garth and Eileen - or "Ella", as everyone called her - who were almost inseparable, and always suspicious of Mark.
One day, while the whole family was on holiday in the Caribbean, they tagged along with him, aiming to keep a watchful eye on him. Unfortunately, the batteries on their electric speedboat ran out. Using oars, they managed to paddle to a small isle nearby, where they found guardian robots, able to electrocute intruders, as they noticed when a small animal touched them.
Rather than questioning why such a small, deserted island needed such robots, Ella desperately suggested that maybe they could use them to recharge the speedboat. While they technically succeeded, all three received massive electric shocks which should have killed them. At the end, Garth and Ella were left in a coma, while Mark, panicking, took them to the mainland, dumped them in a hospital and scarpered, discovering that the shock had granted him electrical powers in the process.
They both spent weeks comatose, during which they were airlifted back to the USA. When Garth awoke, he found Ella still in a coma, and Mark gone. After being held a couple of days for further observation, he was discharged with a clean bill of health, before Ella had woken up. Alone for the first time in his life, he spent a few days sleeping a lot and kicking about the Raines farm, near Winthrop, Kansas, not talking to anyone, when he decided to take some of his anger at Mark out on a scarecrow in a remote field, and ended up blasting it with electricity. Amazed at this, he tested it out further, without telling his parents, and when Ella finally woke up the next day, a week after he had, he cautiously revealed his power to her when he visited her in the hospital. She tried to do the same, but, still weak, was only able to manage a few sparks, something which was a source of amusement to her brother.
That night, still alone in his room, he made a decision. Mark probably had the same power - who knew what he was doing or if anyone could stop him. So, when Ella was discharged the next day, she found he had packed his bags and was ready to leave for Metropolis in search of Mark, and despite her protests to either stay or take her with him, he maintained she was still too weak and left without telling their parents.
[ December 11, 2011, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Quislet, Esq on :
This version has been expanded by Reboot, with a nod to a concept originally introduced by Juan/Doctor One. Quislet's original post can be seen here
Irma Ardeen was orphaned as a young child, which activated nascent telepathic powers. When Checkmate, a US government black ops agency, started planning to recruit superpowered children from orphanages around the US, Irma was one of those chosen. After she accepted the offer, unaware of the consequences, she was handed over to Cadmus, Checkmate's scientific division, who - with the aid of STAR Labs, a private contractor - activated her potential with chemical treatment. In the blink of an eye, she found herself being able to hear and manipulate the thoughts of thousands of people. Thereafter, she underwent years of training, mediation and chemical therapy at their hands to help deal with her new power, having to live in the most strict isolation in the deepest part of Cadmus to avoid being constantly overwhelmed by the sensory overload - though a few voices still permeated though the Earth, helping to keep her sane.
Ultimately, she became the premier telepath at Cadmus, and one of the most successful subjects overall, which led Checkmate to recruit her into the active group. Unfortunately for Checkmate, thanks to the contact with her friends, she'd kept her conscience, and became more powerful than their psi-baffles. After she had begun to be used to spy on foreign dignatries and found it disgusting - as were the plans for the information - she "borrowed" knowledge from their computer science division, writing a virus to erase all trace of her from the Checkmate, Cadmus and STAR computers; used her power directly to achieve a similar effect in the minds of those in each place, and slipped away with several thousand dollars in cash and an air ticket to Metropolis while "cajoling" a Checkmate employee to take her to the airport.
[ December 11, 2011, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Aboard the plane bound for Metropolis, Garth Raines encounters Rex Kline, a high school basketball champion from Braydon, MN, who was known back home as "Cosmic Boy" for his amazing feats on the court. What no one knows is that Rex and his younger brother, Paul, have amazing magnetic powers, due to their father's exposure to an experimental form an electromagentic radiation in the laboratory where he worked.
Rex's college scholarship was cancelled when Braydon was hit by an economic downturn. So, with the last of the money he's saved, Rex is flying to Metropolis to look for a job. On board, he and Garth spot two other passengers, a gorgeous blonde named Imra Ardeen and ...
Posted by Suddenly Seymour on :
Billionaire transportation mogul R.J. Brande, on his way home from a meeting with Bruce Wayne, with whom he discussed some revolutionary technology his company has developed based on a recovered boom tube.
But after thoroughly covering its tracks, Luthor Corp. has sent assassins to off R.J. and steal the technology for Lex Luthor.
While deplaning with her two new friends (and isn't that redhead a cutie?), Irma gets a mental image of what the assassins are about to do. She warns Garth and Rex, who use their powers to disable the crooks, who, of course, have no knowledge who their real employer is.
After heaping them with thanks, R.J. turns to his assistant and ward, Lorna Durgo (no Lorna Doone jokes, please) of Carthage, Mo., and says, "Get these kids names and numbers. I want to see them in my office first thing tomorrow morning. I see great things in their future."
[ March 02, 2004, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Suddenly Seymour ]
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Meanwhile, a young woman of the European aristocracy is chafing under her mother's strict control. As daughter to the U.N. Ambassador, Tamara Wazzo (I couldn't use "Tonya", could I?) enjoys New York but longs for adventure and romance. Although her family had long practiced a branch of witchcraft which permitted them to become phantoms, Tamara has only used this power in the secrecy of her home. She believes she could use her abilities to help people, if only she knew where to begin - and could get away from her mother.
Posted by Varalent on :
After working late into the evening, Lorna Durgo has finally identified and tracked down the three "kids' names and numbers" and has arranged a meeting with R.J. for them at 10:00 AM the following morning. In order to accomplish this, she has had to put off tons of work that keeps accumulating on her desk.
Sighing at the long night that awaits her, she dials the phone to order Chinese food. As she places the order she gently strokes the latest addition to her "genie" lamp collection, which is displayed in the place of honor on her desk (reserved for her latest acquisition.)
As she waits for the restaurant employee to take her order, she sighs again and wistfully thinks "I wish I could split into three so I could keep up with all this work." There is a sudden, brilliant flash of light followed by billowing smoke, both of which combine to leave her momentarily blind.
As the smoke and her sight clears, she sees her reflection in the mirror across the room...but she's seeing triple! Or is she? Looking to her sides, she realizes that her wish has been granted by the magic "genie" lamp! There are now three of her!!!! She's triplets!
[ March 02, 2004, 06:10 PM: Message edited by: Varalent ]
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
The 16-year old boy loved his part-time job at the costume rental shop. He had always enjoyed disguising himself as somebody else, imitating voices and mannerisms to perfection. Was it the role-playing or the subterfuge that was so appealing? His father, an undercover cop, thought the boy had a great talent for disguise and deception - and encouraged him, teaching him the tricks of the trade. Reed Daggly planned to follow in his father's footsteps someday, although, at this point in his life, he didn't know if he wanted to put in the years required to be assigned to undercover work.
It was a slow Saturday afternoon at the store, and Reed spent some time looking through a newspaper. His attention was captured by a story about three teens who had saved a rich businessman...
Posted by Greybird on :
Well, there's also that offshoot of the Ute tribe that lived downwind of the U.S. government's Nevada Atomic Test Site, and got more than a normal dose of radiation. Fortunately, though, rare chemicals in their water supply diverted the particles into having nearly entirely benign effects, and the last three generations seem to have been growing bigger and bigger wings on their backs.
Nobody could take photos of these people, though, as the radiation in the area both made visitors sick and screwed up the film in their cameras. Still, one particular family had also gained what a particularly desperate reporter for the Enquirer mis-described as "psychic powers ..."
Posted by Proty II on :
Note, this version has been expanded by Cobalt Kid, which also combined several posts by Proty.
Meanwhile, in Carlsbad, California, Jose Rimbaud paddled his surfboard out to catch the waves. All his friends heeded the reports that advised against surfing in the high storm surf, but "Surfer Jo", as he was known in the community, couldn't resist the swells. It was only there on the serene open ocean water that “Surfer Jo” could forget about the life he knew prior to Carlsbad and all the pain he had seen. There Jose was truly gone; so was even the “Surfer Jo” act. Joe was a strong swimmer, but this morning the waves were pretty strong even for him—causing him to misjudge a giant wave and be thrown down deep beneath the surface.
For a moment he's too disoriented to know which way is up. Swallowing some water, he thought for the first time that just maybe he might have made a mistake. Desperately, he swam for the light but something sucked him down. It felt like he was in a whirlpool as darkness surrounded him. GULP.
…time passed…
Joe awoke to find himself washed up, somewhere in a dank cave lit by phosphorescent fish. It stunk. It really, really stunk. He noticed the water is acidic and seemed to be eating away his neoprene suit. Climbing up on a pile of flopping fish, he tried to figure out just what happened to him.
***************
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!"
Very little remained of the ship when the wreckage was found days later.
***************
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 happened, and 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 dragon-like sea creature had disgorged young Jose Rimbaud, who thanked his lucky stars for his survival. Soon after, it became clear the experience forever altered the California surfer; as the Navy doctors who examined him learned, Surfer Jo was now the Boy with Ultra Powers!
[ December 14, 2011, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
Sally Digby is the shy but intelligent daughter of a faculty member at Ivy University. There she befriends Professor Ray Palmer, aka the Atom, and learns of his ability to shrink in size. Without Palmer's knowledge, she repeats the same process that gave him his powers. Fortunately, there are no side effects and she is able to shrink to sub-atomic size with no problems. It is also there that she meets a prodigy by the name of Lyle...
Posted by Fat Cramer on :
Quentin Docks was the fifth - and only successful - product of a designer baby program, code-named Brainiac, conducted by a black-ops division of Star Labs. The genetic manipulation raised the boy's intelligence far beyond that of any other human being, but he still lacked the social skills that developed throughout childhood. Both parents were totally absorbed in their work at Star Labs and regarded him more as a successful experiment than a child.
Quentin grew up on his own, with free reign to pursue whatever interested him within the confines of the premises, quickly surpassing the best scientists. The directors began to get nervous as the years passed and wondered if they could possibly control him as he reached his teen years. They began to look around for a way to unload the boy and wash their hands of whatever he might do in the future. Someone suggested the maverick R.J. Brande might be interested in hiring him....
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Zoe Saunders and her mother Azura are investigating some ruins in Western Europe. Zoe decides to bring up a subject that has been on her mind for a while: her upcoming prom back home in America, which will take place in six days, just enough time for her to fly back home, pick out a dress and line up a date.
Unfortunately for her, Azura confesses that she has forgotten about the prom completely, and as things stand now they have no way of making it back in time.
Distraught, Zoe runs off into the ruins. She can't belive that her mother has ruined her life AGAIN! Bad enough that she doesn't get to hang out with her friends anymore, but she has to spend most of her time in creepy, smelly places like this one!
Angrily, she kicks at an old, crumbling wall. Suddenly, the wall crumbles to dust, revealing a glowing pool of energy...
Posted by Star Boy on :
Years ago, out in the windswept plains of New South Wales, Fred and Myra Kallor worked to put the final touches to their revolutionary gravito-scope, assembled near the massive Parkes Radio Telescope. Unbeknownst to them, a comet dragged to earth by the malfunctioning device was to have dire consequences not only for their project, but their infant son Tom...
Posted by Suddenly Seymour on :
Tatiana Mallor clutched the book tightly to her chest as she struggled across the rocky beach. She hadn't expected the wind to pick up, but that wasn't too uncommon along this part of the English coast.
Everyone had told her that her grandmother had drowned in the ocean, but she knew better. That was impossible. Her grandmother Lydia Mallor had secrets, and Tatiana knew where she kept them -- in the book she now held. Lydia had been taken by the shadows.
Tatiana finally reached the line of caves. Someone long before her grandmother had marked one with a small sunburst, though Lydia had kept the groove fresh in the constant barrage from the blasting sea. Tatiana counted eight to the right and went in, letting muscle memory take over in the darkness.
She had been in this cave countless times and knew every rock. She wasn't afraid of the darkness. It wouldn't hurt her, but still -- shadows could be unpredictable. The familiar "ta-lok" of dripping water comforted her as she reached the spot she was looking for.
She pulled a candle from her pocket and set it on the stone table. She lit it and opened the book. She didn't know every word, but she knew enough to find the spell of communion. Lydia had always taught her that her ancestors were very important and that she could come to them in dire need.
Need didn't get more dire than this. Her grandmother had disappeared, leaving things in disarray. Her grandmother's house was going to be sold, and though Tatiana's father and uncle couldn't care less (they wanted the money), Tatiana knew she couldn't let this place of power go to someone who didn't know what he was getting -- or worse, someone who did. But she was only 13 and didn't know what to do.
So she read the words of the communion spell and waited. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then she noticed the small circle of light around her getting smaller, though the flame hadn't dimmed. She smelled her grandmother's perfume and snuffed the candle.
A familiar touch wrapped around her, and Tatiana knew her grandmother was with her. She could also feel other pairs eyes watching her, and she thought she heard a sniff of incredulity.
"Oh, Tati," Lydia's voice whispered. "The shadows took me away too soon. If only my sons ..."
"Grandmum! I knew they were lying to me! I knew you'd be here! Father is going to sell your house so he can buy us some stupid fancy flat in London! What can I do?"
"Hush, child. Everything will be fine. Do you think I'd leave this place totally without defense? I knew your father and uncle wanted no part of their destiny, but you, Tatiana, you and your cousin Gregory may be the greatest of us all."
Again, the snort.
"Greg? But he's only 10!"
"I know dear. Now listen closely. I have much to tell you, but this spell won't last forever."
Three years later, Tatiana lived in Lydia's large, rambling house with her parents, aunt, uncle and cousin Greg. Tatiana had returned from the cave with a will, leaving the property to her and Greg with no option for sale. One look in Tatiana's darkened eyes told her father and uncle this was not to be contested. They knew where she'd been, and as much as they had never wanted to believe it, they knew the family's ancient power had been passed along.
Reluctantly, they moved their families into separate wings. Provisions had been made so that her father and uncle could continue their business, while Tatiana and Greg learned their grandmother's secrets in a dark cave.
(Edited to fix duplicate name -- sorry, FC, I didn't look back on the first page)
[ March 05, 2004, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Suddenly Seymour ]
Posted by Juan on :
The girl in white was determined to make her plan work. The wind was fierce this December evening in New York City. She looked up, to the top of the grey building in front of her, took a big breath, and went in. "Yes? May I help you?". The security guard was a big man. He was flanked by 4 others. "I would like to see Mr. Brande, please". "I'm very sorry, but Mr. Brande doesn't see anybody without an appointment." This was as she thought, R.J. Brande had a reputation for generosity that attracted many people in need to his offices. Tamara looked at the guard, smiled, and said: "I see. Where can I make an appointment, please?". She knew exactly the answer to that question, the large queue to her left was obvious enough. And she had been here before, visiting with her mother, Countess Winona Wazzo, second in line to the Austrian throne and ambassador of her country at the U.N. That had most certainly NOT been a nice visit. R.J. Brande had seen right through the usual insincere unctuousness of the Austrian heir, and had politely but firmly refused to take part in Winona's political schemes to return Austria to a monarchical system. "The Austro-Hungarian Empire must rise again!". Yada, yada, Tamara had heard this line from her mother throughout her life. She had never been interested in this, Austria was doing quite well as a republic, but her mother's obsessions did cause some problems. For example, R.J. Brande had sworn never to see Countess Winona again. And he would certainly not be inclined to see her daughter, either.
Tamara looked at the guard, smiled politely, and with a gentle bow of her head, turned towards the long queue. When she reached a corner, she turned towards the wall... and disappeared. She knew exactly where R.J. Brande's office was, but it still took her a while to get through the myriad of offices unseen. Fourty-five minutes later, she had made it. Nobody had seen her (she was quite proud to have had the patience to wait until people got out of her way) and she was standing inside R.J. Brande's door. She looked inside, through the darkness. In addition to R. J. Brande, there were six people in the room, two boys and four girls. Three of the girls, triplets, obviously, were sitting on a sofa, holding hands. The fourth girl, a stunning blonde, had her hands at her temples, and was watching the triplets intensely. The men were looking from behind. And suddenly, the triplets... merged into one person! The blonde woman lowered her arms, smiling, but then frowned and looked straight towards the dark office door. "There is someone else here!", she said, and two seconds later, Tamara was surrounded. "The Austrian princess!" R.J. Brande was not pleased. "Hi. I'm Tamara, but you can call me Tina".
[ March 05, 2004, 10:34 PM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by Quislet, Esq on :
The village of Trom was abuzz with talk of strangers being spotted nearby. Young Jan Arrah was excited. He hoped that he would get a glimpse of the strangers. He had dreamed of exploring the world outside the village, to see the cities from which the village ancestors came from. Occassionally certain villagers were selected to go into the outside world. Jan's father had done so.
According to the stories, centuries ago a group of alchemists in Munich had discovered the secret of changing one metal into another. It was a great discovery. But there were those who wanted the secret for their own personal gain. There had been fights and death in the struggle over the secret. Finally his ancestors had prevailed. They knew the secret was too dangerous for the outside world, so they took their families to this remote area and founded the village of Trom. Hidden from the world, the villagers kept guard of their secret power.
Jan spent the afternoon scouring the countryside, looking for the strangers with no luck. Tired and hungry he returned to the village. What he discovered there shocked him. All the houses were now just charred and smoking ruins. The villagers' bodies, his friends, laid everywhere. Running to his own home, Jan found his father and mother on the floor. Dropping to his knees, he cradled her in him arms, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"cough, cough" She was still alive, but just bearly. "Mother what happened? What should I do?" "Jan? Is that you? It..it was the strangers. They came looking for our secret. But we did not tell them. cough, cough, choke. Jan? You are safe? You must hide. You must get away from here." His mother clutching at him, her fear and desperation evident in her voice. "Run, my son. Save yourself!" With that she collapsed, breathing her last.
Jan looked for any other survivors, but they were all dead. Jan knew he could not stay here, but where could he go? Then he remembered all the stories his father had told him of his time in the outside world. There was one man whom his father had repeatly said was the best of all the outsiders - RJ Brande. Jan would find this RJ Brande and seek his help.
Posted by Juan on :
It was finally happening! The Legion was forming! Nura sat up from her futon, beaming towards her sister Maizah. But of course she knew already, Irma had probably broadcasted her news to all of her 'telepathic' friends simultaneously. Nura stood up, and walked towards a window covered in intricate wooden patterns. She peeked outside, towards the other soaring skyscrapers in the blazing sun. That it had come to this, having to flee from one's own father! It would be nice, though, to finally see that place she had always dreamed about, America!
But first things first, they had to get out of here. And that was not going to be easy. Maizah ("the discerning one", how appropriate!) was already packing, putting a few prescious books she had taken from her father's library into a camel-leather bag. Nura did not have much to put into her bag, but this did not concern her. They were finally leaving! The Legion would be a success, she had foreseen it. She put her burka on and opened the door, Maizah two steps behind her, also covered from head to toe. As the two sisters started walking down the hall, Maizah waved her hands, and all sounds from their walking were muzzled. Maizah had been preparing for this moment for a long time, waiting for their father to leave the house. She was not going to let themselves be caught. The two sisters reached the stone steps, and walked down the fourteen stories of the earthen skyscraper. The heat of the sun welcomed them as they arrived at the bottom. The streets of Shibam were almost completely empty, at this, the hottest hour of the afternoon, but a few people, mostly men, were conversing in the shade. Reaching the market was no problem, but to get to the bus station, and then beyond...!
As the two sisters were trying to board the bus to Aden, a large, surly looking man with a big moustache and a uniform stopped them. "Who are you, and where are you going?", he asked. "I am Nura bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal, and I am leaving for America!". At the same time, Maizah waved her hands again. The man stopped frowning, put on a beatific smile, and went to his office, ready to follow Maizah's "suggestions". He came back ten minutes later, having written fake permission papers from the two women's non-existing husbands. "Your papers are in order, you can leave the country now". The sisters looked at each other, pleased with their success. They boarded the bus, the first step out of Yemen in their long trip to America. "It will be so nice to finally meet Irma, Jacquie, and the dark English lady!"
[ March 05, 2004, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Long ago in Ancient Rome, the warrior Monius Ellysius was the greatest champion of the Roman people. Some said he has decended from the real Hercules, for he possessed the amazing ability over super-strength and invulnerability.
Others said that he was Achilles, who had secretly lived on since the Fall of Troy.
One day, on a trip into Persia, Monius explored the ancient caverns of the Babylonians and stumbled upon a terrible form of led that he inhaled.
Poisoned, Monius was brought by the Persian people to their greatest Zoroastrian Priest. The Priest was able to gain favor with his deities, and a spell was woven so that Monius would not wake up for 2000 years. Hidden in the cave, the Persians left him there and covered the cave, scrawling only these words over it's entrance: "Zone of Phantoms".
This was during the reign of the Emperor Augustus.
Posted by Juan on :
Irma Ardeen, sitting in the back bench of one of R.J. Brande's airplanes, had a headache. The past couple of days had been so eventful! After years lived in isolation in the deepest part of the Cadmus Laboratories, life on the outside was proving to be very stressful. Fortunately, she could still count on her telepathic friends to keep her sane. The effects of the chemical treatment inflicted on her by the scientists at STAR labs had been instantaneous (oh, how she wished she had never volonteered for that!), at the blink of an eye she found herself being able to hear and manipulate the thoughts of thousands of people. It took her years of training to learn to silence those voices, but at last she was getting there. There were limits to her power, though. Although she could receive the thoughts of people physically close to her, her abilities diminished with distance. That simple fact had meant that for years she had had to live in the most strict isolation, while learning to cope with her new powers. She found, however, that she was able to communicate with a few people, usually adept in the mystical arts, even if they lived at the other end of the planet. Maizah had been first, Irma didn't know what she would have done without her! Such strength and determination in such a small frame! Quickly afterwards, Maizah had managed to open Nura, her sister, to Irma's telepathic messages. For years the three of them had shared their innermost thoughts as only teenagers can, all of them completely isolated from the outside world. As Irma's powers grew stronger and her control better, she started to "invite" others to her conversations. Tatiana Mallor, the dark lady from England, had become a good friend in a small time, as had Sara, the "empress of Venegar", as she liked to be called. A small girl called Jackie was also receptive to the messages, but she was so shy! Irma didn't like her very much, actually; it was only at Maizah's insistance that she kept her in the group. But over the years she had been able to find out next to nothing about this so-called "friend".
The training period ended when the people from Checkmate arrived to recruit her. How she hated those people! She had been used for one thing, and one thing only: to spy the thoughts of important dignataries. And Irma hated every minute of it. To invade the privacy of these people in such a blatant manner! Because most of them were actually good people, with wives, kids and mundane problems, peering into their minds without their consent was simply revolting! The Checkmate operatives didn't see things in the same way, and so one day she simply had to leave. And leave she did. She went to the basis of operations of Checkmate, read the mind of the head of personal, and proceeded to erase the memory of her existance from every single person related to that program. And then she did the exact same thing to the 250 people at Star Labs that had ever known of her existance. She was free at last! Or so she thought, she hoped she didn't miss anybody...
Garth and Rex had been the first boys Irma had ever met. Of course there had been the STAR scientists, but they were OLD! It had been so exciting, managing to save the life of R.J. Brande! Of course she was willing to join the new Legion, Nura had foreseen that it would be a great instrument for good! She had also enjoyed helping Lorna to get herself back together, perhaps her telepathic powers would be able to do some good, after all! The Austrian girl was nice enough, but Irma found her open, smiley demeanor a bit too much. And then there was Quentin, another child of Star Labs. When he was "delivered" to Mr. Brande, Irma hid, not wanting to meet anybody from Star Labs ever again. But to her surprise, she found that she got along with the green kid well enough (God, she hoped that particular side effect from his genetic manipulation would not appear in her!).
And now, here they were, the new Legion of Super Heroes, off to their first mission. Garth, Rex, Lorna, Tina, Quentin and herself. She hoped things would work out... But why did she have a feeling that there were two other people on the plane? She had checked over and over again, and had found nothing. It must be the headache.
At the very back of the plane, Lyle Norga and Sally Digby looked at each other and smiled. They had just confirmed that Reed Daggly had made it onto the plane, too, disguised as one of the co-pilots. They hoped everything would work according to plan...
Posted by ActorLad on :
Laura Long was shy & quiet girl who made the most startling of discoveries. Her cute next door neighbor Mick Russell was the hero of her hometown Foreman. Drawing of her lifetime love of entomology she developed a serum to allow her to pupate into a more attractive form. She took drank it & when she woke up in the morning she found she had much longer legs & a butt to rival JLo's. Unfortunatly a few weeks later she would often turn into ferocious Were-Bugs. Thankfully Mick figured out what happened & brought her to STAR labs. The developed a ring that helped her channel her powers in a less violent manner. She was relieved because she didn't want to go all Praying Mantis on her potential boyfriend. Now she was the sultry Insect Queen.
[ March 22, 2004, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: ActorLad ]
Posted by Condo on :
Brian was loner, he always had been. Growing up in a military had seen to that! His dad was a doctor in the Army and they had moved from base to base. Sometimes it seemed to Brian that they had just gotten settled in a new house when they had to start packing again!
Because of the frequent moves, Brian had never let himself make friends with any of the kids he met on the various bases or at the various schools he attended. What was the point? He would only have to say goodbye in a few months and never see them again!
Without friends to play with, Brian mostly concentrated on physical training and sports, the individual ones...no team sports for him since that would mean teamMATES. He ran constantly, lifted weights, loved to box and wrestle, and was even an excellent gymnast. One good thing (the ONLY good thing, in Brian's opinion!) you could say about the military, they always provided terrific training equipment at the base gymnasiums.
They were back in the States now, in Texas actually but his family had spent the last year stationed on the base at Diego Garcia. It was there that he had gotten stung or bitten by one of the dangerously venomous animals or lizards that infested the island. He was running, alone as usual, when he was stung, and had not seen his attacker. Somehow he had made it back to the base before blacking out.
It was almost a month later before he came out of his venom induced coma. His father and the other doctors had struggled mightily to save his life, trying every antidote, hormone and treatment they could think of to fight the unidentified venom. Something had worked, or maybe some combination of things had worked...no one really knew although they were all releaved.
One good thing had come out of that experience, Brian smiled to himself, as he climbed the sheer cliff face. Whatever combination of drugs they had treated him with had caused an unanticipated side effect, one which he had not shared or spoken about with anyone, even his father.
He was even more agile, you could say super agile! He was also faster, stronger, and had significantly more endurance than he had ever had before! Something had enhanced his physical abilities way beyond the norm!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Zoe couldn't believe it. She was flying! Up in the sky! Like a bird! This was WAYYY cooler than being a cheerleader.
It was getting chilly up here. She quickly morphed her green mini into a warmer yet no less chic pair of pants. Her newfound abilities were SO convenient.
She hoped the kids back home would still remember her... The kids who had been her friends before her mom and dad had split and mom had taken her and her stupid baby brother Than looking for artifacts on a wild-goose chase around the world!
Although it hadn't turned out to be a wild-goose chase, had it? That mysterious artifact in the ruins had been charged with some mystical energy, and now she could do all these cool things...
Three days after she had first absorbed that energy, she had first discovered her high scale telekinetic abilities. It hadn't taken long for her to decide to fly back to America on her own and pop up at the prom. She had left her mom a note before she left. She'd be back soon, of course. It's not like she could get into any trouble with these cool powers, could she? She'd be perfectly safe.
She was thinking about which boy would be un-gross wnough to ask to the prom when the plane carrying the Legion flew right above her.
Posted by Juan on :
The two women who stepped out of the plane in Frankfurt could not be more different to the ones who boarded it in Aden. During the flight, the two sisters had removed their burkas and had shyly returned to their seats, under the stare of practically every single male passenger on the plane. But it was in Frankfurt where their full physical beauty was revealed. They had decided to exchange their Arab-style clothing for a more "westerly" attire, in order to attract less attention. The effect of the change was the exact opposite of what they intended. Maizah had chosen white pants and a white silk blouse that contrasted brightly with her fiery red hair. Nura had chosen a pair of tight jeans and a red blouse, and had tied up her platinum hair with an oriental-looking needle. Both were extremely uncomfortable with the amount of attention they were getting.
"We can't linger here too long, father is bound to find us!" The day before their flight from Shibam, when they learned about their father's so-called "business trip", Nura had made sure to take enough money from their father's vault to last them for a lifetime, while Maizah raided the library. They had absolutely no compunctions in using that money, the rightful owners of it would certainly approve of the sister's efforts to oppose their father. Had they been alive, that is.
The plane to New York City was still on the runway. Nura sighed in relief when they finally found their seats, but Maizah was... distant, she thought. She looked at her small sister and smiled. Whatever would she do without her? They had never been apart in all their lives. Maizah looked at her sister with a tremulous smile and kissed her in the cheek. And then she stood up. Ten minutes later she still hadn't returned, and the plane took flight. Nura was frantic. She was just about to go to the cabin to force the plane to fly back, when fluorescent green letters appeared in front of her spelling a message in Arabic. "I am so sorry, Nura", it said, "I have to help Jacquie". "I'll find you in New York."
Nura bint-Mordru Al-Nayal fell back into her seat, tears streaming down her face. How come she had not foreseen this?
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Zoe had been deeply lost in thought when the plane had almost hit her.
She dove sharply just in the nick of time.
She shook her head slowly. She would have to be more careful! Having to spend the prom in the hospital would be so not fun.
Suddenly, she realized that she had forgotten something important. She didn't have a clue where in the United States of America she was!
She quickly turned around and followed the plane. Maybe she wouuld find herself a date in the process.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Jeanne Chu despised R.J. Brande.
The secretary general of the United Nations had much more important things to do, in her mind, than entertain the billionaire industrialist who, it seemed to her, had free run of the United Nations building in New York, and easy access to most of the member governments.
If the truth were to be known, she was jealous of Brande and the admiration her international colleagues held for him. Chu had worked her way up the hard way: through the political machinery of her predecessor, Secretary General Thawne. She had seen the shady dealings and power plays of his administration first hand, and had participated in them only to the extent that it was necessary to get ahead. Now that Thawne had been forced to resign in disgrace (a murky issue surrounding the murder of a brother and sister named Allen had surfaced), the power was Chu's.
Some power. As Secretary General, she had no real authority over international affairs, and no way of preventing member nations from acting on their own accord, as recent history showed. But that would all change, she could feel it. Somehow, she would show the world a better way.
"Mr. Brande is here to see you," came the voice of her administrative assistant.
"Send him in," she said, her voice cool and calculating, betraying not the slightest hint of her derision for Brande.
Brande entered the spacious office, bounding with energy, as he always did.
An hour later, he left in an altogether different mood. Unbeknownst to Brande, he had handed Chu exactly what she was looking for. This proposal of his -- this "Legion of Super-Heroes" to be supported and sanctioned by the UN -- would be her instrument in consolidating her power over the unruly member nations.
Brande, of course, didn't see it that way. He intended the Legion to be used for more altruistic purposes. What was the phrase he used? "A symbol to bring people together."
Such naivete from a man of Brande's stature she could hardly believe.
Brande appeared to instantly regret bringing his proposal to her attention, but it was too late. The Legion would have everything the UN could offer: access to other nations, powers of arrest and detention, even a magnificent headquarters to be erected a few blocks away -- where Chu could keep an eye on them.
There was only one aspect of Brande's proposal that she shot down: his choice of Legion leader, a young Minnesotan named Rex Kline (or Cosmic Boy, as Brande preferred). Kline may have been a sports hero in his hometown, but that wouldn't give him enough experience or standing in the international community to lead a UN-sponsored Legion.
No, she had someone altogether different in mind ...
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Young Jenni Ognats looked out over the calm sea, the sun's light playing gently on the cool blue water. It was so peaceful, so beautiful... It reminded her of her mother.
The beach had been her favorite place, ever since she was a little kid. Mom and Dad would always take her there, teaching her how to swim in the shallow depths, helping her build towering (well, they looked like towers to a three-year old!) sand castles, and just enjoying the peace and quiet.
It had been heaven.
Until suddenly one day her mom had gone. Dad took her to the beach as usual, but instead of getting into the water, he sat her down and told her that mommy had gone far away. Even then he had been trying to hold back the tears. She couldn;t understand why her momma had left there. Not then, not now.
All she knew was that her momma and uncle Don would never have left on their own. Someone must have made them. The same person who chased Aunt Iris and cousin Bart away. The same person who nearly killed her father on the day of her eighth borthday party. And from that day she swore she would find that person when she was old enough.
Five years later, she finally understood it all. Shortly after she had turned thirteen, she had discovered something amazing about herself. She was trying to catch the school bus, hoping she wouldn;t get yet another detention that day, because she so desperately wanted to make it home early so she could surprise her dad on his brithday. While she was running, she closed her eyes and prayed.
When she opened them, she was already by the school gates.
She had shown her father that very night, thinking how happy he would be. But she was wrong. He cried again, just as he did that day momma had gone away. And he had told her the whole story.
Secretary General Thawne had been forced to resign, but Jenni was sure that someone else had helped commit the crime that he had been accused of, and many others that had been hidden away, with no witnesses left to tell the tale. She had almost given up hope, when she heard about the Legion's formation. Maybe now she could gain allies, friends who would help her find out the truth and rid the world of the evil powers manipulating it.
She had made up her mind. Leaving a cloud of sand in her wake, she ran towards New York.
Posted by Proty II on :
Reed Daggly sat down at the radio controls and smiled. Nobody had noticed that he wasn't the real co-pilot! The disguise was working perfectly. He took off his sunglasses and reached for the carryon bag he'd brought with him. Unzipping the small accessories pouch he was startled to find his pet chameleon sleeping on his iPod. The lizard's skin blended perfectly with the music player and made him seem almost invisible.
Good Grief, he thought, how did Proteus get in there? He quickly zipped the pouch closed before amiable reptile woke.
Posted by Juan on :
"The Eye has awakened!!!" Monius Ellysius' telepathic scream was so loud that, on the plane over the Caribbean Sea, Irma Ardeen jolted in her seat. "What Eye? And was that Latin?" She was very puzzled indeed. "Who thinks in Latin these days?"
"The Eye has awakened!!!" Sara Romanescu, chamber maid at the Royal Palace of Moldavia, stopped washing the laundry in the dark, damp basement of the palace. "At last!"
"The Eye has awakened." Princess Jacqueline Proiectra of Moldavia was looking through the window of the Royal Castle, not at the snowy fields below, but further, much further. "It has finally come to pass." She had been preparing for this since she was a small child, preparing and watching Sara, the last child of the Romanescu clan. This was of course the reason she was given her powers by the Oracles. When Sara made telepathic contact with the American girl, she knew that she had to intervene, to listen, but in an inobtrusive way that would not put Sara on her guard. So she created Jacquie, a small child that listened to most telepathic conversations, but said very little. As far as she could tell, Sara had not realized that Jacquie, the small child in her telepathic conversations, was the Princess in the upper chambers. Why would she? Protocol dictated that the Princess never had any contact with the chamber maids, and the two had not exchanged more than very few words over the years.
But Maizah had not been fooled. Almost immediately after Jacquie had joined the telepathic group, Maizah knew that she was being deceitful. She found a way to bypass Irma's telepathy, and confronted her. Jacqueline of Moldavia, faced with the threat that her spying would be exposed, had no choice but to explain herself to Maizah. She would have found out anyway, she was the daughter of the Archmage Mordru! And so Maizah became her sole confidante, the only person who knew the reasons for her life long dishonorable behaviour. And she swore never to tell anybody. Not even her sister Nura.
"The Eye has awakened!" On the train to Moldavia, Maizah Al-Nayal shuddered. She bent down and continued studying her books, she would soon need all the magic at her disposal. Hopefully she would be able to give Jacquie the time she needed. She just found it regrettable that she had to die so young.
In a cavern in the Austrian Alps, Azura Saunders lay on the floor, unconscious. The Archmage Mordru Al-Nayal was using all the means at his disposal to bring the Emerald Eye of Akron under his control, but he was not being very successful: even after giving part of his Emerald energy to the American girl, the Emerald Eye was more than a match for the mage. After seven hours of relentless battle, Mordru was defeated. The Eye rose from the cavern, seemed to hesitate for an instant (Zoe or Sara?), and then moved eastwards.
From a mountain top over his destroyed village, Jan Arrah watched the Emerald glow. "The Eye has awakened". He turned back and continued his trip. Hopefully R.J. Brande would be able to help.
[ March 08, 2004, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by Juan on :
At first everything worked as planned. The Legion's plane landed at a secret airstrip in the Putumayo region, on the eastern slope of the Colombian Andes. Three hours later, after an uncomfortable walk through the rainforest, Luthor Corp's facility was in full view.
Rex assumed the leadership role quite naturally. Without saying a word, he directed Tina towards the main gate. She phased through, and opened it from the inside. She had disposed of some of the guards, and the rest were quickly put to sleep by Irma, who at the same time took a mental map of the installations from their minds and transmitted it to all other Legionnaires. Garth and Rex immediately moved towards the right, towards the place where the alkaloids were stored. Quentin remained close to the entrance, and Irma, Tina and Lorna started moving towards the offices.
They did not get very far. Seven large, heavily armed robots were standing in front of them. Irma was the first one to fall, her powers utterly inadequate to deal with this type of menace. Lorna fell shortly afterwards. Rex, Garth and Quentin, who had heard the commotion, rushed to the aid of their teammates and witnessed Tina singlehandedly disabling one of the robots by phasing through its electrical system. Two others were destroyed by Garth and Rex, but they were overpowered by the superior firepower from the four remaining ones. After that, it was just a matter of time before Quentin and Tina were defeated, too. An army of guards appeared with sonic blasters, aimed them at the two remaining Legionnaires, and the battle was over.
The soldiers carrying Lorna Durgo were surprised when she suddenly disappeared into thin air. Her second body had stayed outside of the Lexcorp facility, and by merging with it, she was able to escape her captors. When she arrived at the plane's landing site and saw the unconscious body of the pilot, Lorna realized that things were worse than she thought. And where was the co-pilot? She moved quickly to attempt to revive the pilot, and while doing that, an identification card fell out from his shirt pocket. Luthorcorp, it said. At this point, Lorna Durgo looked up to the sky and saw a green glow. A flying girl??!!!
Thousands of miles away, Jeanne Chu was finishing a phone call. "Yes, Mr. Luthor, I'll keep you informed. Thank you for your support." She hung up the phone, and smiled.
Ramiro Puerta, soldier of the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia, was standing immediately behind Reed Daggly when the explosion occurred.
[ March 10, 2004, 06:58 AM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by Quislet, Esq on :
From deep within the Earth's core magma shifted around. "The Eye has awakened!" It must be fought as it had been when it had first arrived on the planet and many times since. Slowly oozing upward and upward the thought rose. "The Eye has been awakened and must be fought!" Up through the Core, to the Outer Core, to the Lower Mantle, to the Upper Mantle. "The Eye has been awakened and must be fought!" As the thought neared the crust of the planet, a shape in the magma began to emerge. Humanoid with great mass. The shape reached the crust and began to cool, hardening into solid stone, but stone that moved. "The Eye had awakened and must be fought!" The stone figure began to punch up through the crust of the Earth.
Departing from the Moldavian train station, Miazah Al-Nayal settled back into the car that had been sent for her by Princess Jacqueline Projectra. She took a break from her studies to view the green fields that flew past the window. She wondered if this would be one of the war zones in the coming struggle. Suddenly a section of the field swelled up and erupted. Clods of Earth and stone rained down everywhere. The driver skidded and swerved to avoid the debris and finally crashed into a fence post.
Miazah dug herself out of the piles of books that had fallen on her. She checked the driver. He seemed fine, but unconscious.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Someone or something was approaching, Miazah turn to see a giant person - no more like a giant block in the shape of a person.
"The Eye has awakened and must be fought!" croaked from the Block.
[ March 09, 2004, 08:59 AM: Message edited by: Quislet, Esq ]
Posted by Suddenly Seymour on :
Dirk Morgna stood proudly at his father's side. Sure, the cameras were all there for his father, but it was fun for the 11-year-old to imagine he was the center of their attention.
His father was the Czech scientist in charge of overseeing the construction of the world's first solar/nuclear power plant. Funded mostly by Wayne Enterprises, the plant had been built in a remote part of the Czech Republic, where scrutiny would be light and fallout from an accident would cause minimum damage. Now his father was ready to throw the switch, and the world's press was there to cover it.
But Dirk was getting bored with his father's long speech and nature was calling. He slipped quietly away and headed to the restroom. As he was leaving the stall, something heavy hit his head. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he looked up and saw his attacker, Dr. Regulus -- the Luthor Corp. spy Dirk had caught when he overheard a telephone conversation.
When Dirk woke up, everything was dark, and he wasn't even sure he had awakened. But then the space around him burst with light, and he felt an enormous surge of power and heat rip through his body.
The light lasted only for a second, but it was enough to knock him out again. He came to and felt his way around, looking for a door or something that would give him a clue where he was. With no luck, he finally slumped against a wall and started to cry. But then he felt himself falling backwards through the wall. He turned and discovered it was melting where he was leaning against it. He touched the spot and could feel his hand radiating a tremondous amount of heat, enough to continue moving through the wall.
He stood up and pressed his entire body against the wall, concentrating and feeling himself move through it as the wall melted away. It was extremely thick, and when he reached the other side, he could tell he had been in the reactor!
The first thing he saw was his father crying. Then he saw Regulus stare at him in awe while being held by two security guards. Then the cameras started flashing -- all for him.
Three years later, "Sun Boy," as the glowing child had been called by press at the scene, was on a photoshoot in Moldavia. Bruce Wayne had been extremely generous in making sure Dirk received the best care after his accident. He quickly learned to keep a handle on his powers, and Gigi, a nice woman in Wayne's media relations department, had then spun his them into a lucrative modeling career -- just up Dirk's alley. The cameras were always for him. Dirk was a good boy at heart, but the handsome young teen did enjoy the constant attention.
As the flashbulbs were going off in the Moldavian countryside, Dirk had another flash: "The Eye has awakened and must be fought!" He looked around for the voice but then heard it again in his head.
The photographer stopped shooting. "DId you just hear sometihng?" she asked.
But then Dirk felt the ground rumble. Everyone started looking around, and that's when he saw the ground erupt several hundred yards away, near the road. He saw a car hit a fence post, and something moving.
He started running.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jenni Ognats was running, this time not for her life, but for the lives of six kids whom she had never met before.
Just a little over an hour earlier, she had been in New York, looking for clues as to why Secretary General Thawne had kidnapped her mother and her uncle all those years ago. She was sure it hadn't been just a grudge or something as petty as that. There had been rumors of genetic experimentation at around that time too. She had been heading for the files in the embassy when she had picked up the phone call about the assassination attempts on the newly-formed Legion.
She couldn't let that happen.
She didn't know who the voice belonged to... She hadn't been listening closely enough to tll, and she doubted she had heard it before, anyway... But now, more than ever, she was sure there was a dangerous plot formulating in the upper levels of the government. And she couldn't let those kids (as well as the only possible allies she might have in her fight) fall now.
It would take her about half an hour more to get to Colombia. She prayed she would get there in time.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Azura Saunders woke up with a splitting headache. She tried to stand, and managed it, barely. She was glad that she could still walk, and she was thankful that she was still alive. The man who had appeared earlier had ruthlessly slammed her into the cave wall with just a flick of his wrist! And she suspected that he was capable of much more than that.
The last thing she remembered was him uttering something about "Emerald Power".
"Now what could that mean? Maybe- Oh my gosh!"
Her mind went back to the events of the past week. She remembered finding Zoe on the floor, surrounded by a glowing,green aura... The rocks around her were being morphed into crude shapes by that same aura. She had bundled Zoe into bed not soon after, and had made her promise not to leave until she could arrange for transport to the nearest hospital. That had been only a few hours ago.
She hoped that Zoe had disobeyed her this time, or else she knew she wouldn't like what she would find back at camp.
************************************************
Zoe dove out of the clouds, hoping that she hadn't lost the plane. After surveying the land below, she almost wished she had.
"OOooH! I knew I shouldn't have flown too high!"
Maybe she could hitch a ride on the plane when it returned to America. She quickly cast her eyes around for it, and soon spotted the landing site, and the brown-haired girl who seemed to be waving to her.
"All right! Now I have someone to show my new outfit off to!" she thought as she headed for the plane.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"There's a bomb on board and I can't get in, and no one's coming out. Quick - you've got to help me."
Zoe decided to trust the frantic girl and flew over to the plane, opening a hole in it's side. The strong smell of gas that emerged told her that the girl (whose name she hadn't caught in her rapid verbage) was right to be concerned. Putting masks over her's and the girl's faces, they headed in.
As she saw the Legionnaires sprawled around the plane, for once she was glad she'd been dragged around on those digs - she'd been taught basic first aid, and she found pulses on the first three sprawled bodies. Looking into the cabin, she found the pilots, and a red haired boy, all still alive as well.
The dark haired girl ran in - "I'vefoundit." Quickly as she could, Zoe followed the speeding girl to the cargo hold, and, opening another hole in the side of the plane, telekinetically "threw" the bomb as far as she could throw it.... as the man with the monacle laughs at the two heroines' "rescue..."
--------------------
Meanwhile, on a farmstead in Kansas, Eileen "Ella" Raines made plans to follow her twin...
[ March 10, 2004, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Juan on :
Quentin Docks's shackles seemed to open from their own volition. He didn't have much time to express his surprise, the next second a tiny dark-haired woman in a purple outfit was jumping out of them. "The way out's that way, hurry!". He wouldn't have necessarily obeyed a woman that he didn't know, but then he heard Irma's voice in his head. "It's OK, you can trust her".
The fire alarm in the complex was going off. "ALL PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY" was the message being broadcast through the loudspeakers. Lyle Norga, invisible, was running in the opposite direction to all the personnel in the facility, towards the vault with the alkaloids and the chemicals to process them. Reed's diversion was working! He arrived at the vault, placed the bomb, and started running towards the exit.
Everything was going well. Reed Daggly had managed to disable the plane's pilot, and had arrived at Luthor Corp's complex shortly after the Legion. While the Legionnaires were fighting the robots, Reed had managed to disable one of the guards and had replaced him. He had then sounded off the alarm, to make sure that all personnel had left the complex before the explosion that was to come.
But he couldn't escape. As he attempted to leave the building, he was intercepted by four armed men in military uniforms. "You are not from here!" one of them said in Spanish. "What were you doing in there?". Reed Daggly had no time to answer, they were too close! And then it happened. The Lexcorp Complex blew up in a great ball of fire. Reed Daggly, his pet chameleon, and Ramiro Puerta, one of the guerrilla fighters behind him, were first showered in a cloud of noxious chemicals, and then received the full blast of the explosion. Nothing was left of Reed, except for an orange puddle. A few meters behind him, Ramiro's body was completely charred over. The other three persons were dead.
[ December 12, 2011, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Charles Tan was moping in the jungle. He knew his parents wouldn't be happy about him going out there alone, but he had weightier problems on his mind.
While the Philippines was his home, he was now in Colombia because his parents were big-shot ambassadorial types. It had been over a month since he had last seen his classmates from back home... Not that he minded; he was away from home so often that he never had any real friends.
Because of this, he often spent time studying, reading books and writing stories, poetries and essays. Even though English wasn't his native language, he had become quite adept at it, making him trilingual. His parents were quite proud of that fact, as well as all the scholastic awards that he had won. Honor and achievement were important things in Chinese culture.
But all that would soon be for naught, if his secret would be discovered. He But it was all that kooky government scientist's fault; he had offered Charles (or Chuck, as he preferred to be called) a bottle of "soda" which had turned out to be one of the bottles the new plastic formula the scientist had been working on!
As if the horrible taste hadn't been bad enough, Chuck's already rather pudgy body had swollen up, and he had gained the ability to infalte himself and bounce like a large rubber ball!
"At least I was able to figure out how to deflate myself," Chuck sighed, "but this is one horrible power! Why, oh why, couldn't it had been something flashy, exciting, and something which didn't... deform me? And to add insult to injury, that scientist almost caged me so he could experiment me! I'm sure he would have, too, if I had't used dad's position as an ambassador... Oh, drat! What will mom and dad think?"
Chuck buried his face in his hands, and hurried farther away into the jungle.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Lorna was afraid that the two girls floating above her were drug addicts or something. They had both appeared out of nowhere, scrambled into the plane, all the time yelling some unintelligible (at least to her ears) words, and now they were both just hovering there with blank looks on their faces. She wished she could fly, so she could crack their heads together and get them to wake up!
Just then, she spotted a somewhat chubby boy walking along the path with his face buried in his hands. At last, some help! She quickly hurried over to him and introduced herself, explaining the situation.
"...and so, do you think you can help me?"
"Well, it appears they may be suffering some sort of halucination... but maybe we can shock them out of it."
"Oh, yes! That sounds like a great idea! So, how do we go about it? My sisters and I can't exactly reach them from here."
"Um... sisters?"
"Oh, sorry! Here, I'll show you."
Lorna stepped back and triplicated, then quickly reintegrated again. Her two other bodies weren;t fully healed yet... She wobbled over until the boy steadied her.
"You- you're Lorna Durgo, aren't you? The Legionnaire?"
"Yeah... And I could really use those two girls' help. My friends are in danger... Are there any other metahumans around here who could help me?"
"I- Well- There's- Um, well, there's me. Um, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Charles Tan, but please call me Chuck. I- can do this." Chuck quickly inflated, then deflated again, blushing a deep crimson red as he did so.
Lorna's eyes widened. "That is so cool! You should join the Legion!"
Chuck brightened at the thought. "Really? Do you think I'd be accepted?"
"Sure! In that form, it looks like you can't be hurt, and I'm sure anybody would get knocked out if you bounced into them! Why don't you wake those two up from their little daydream, and then we can go find the others? I'm sure all three of you will be inducted after all the help you're going to be on this mission."
"If that's the case..." Chuck quickly inflated again, and, aiming carefully, bounced up and gently knocked Zoe and Jenni out of the sky. Just hard enough to bring them to their senses, of course.
"Huh? What?" "Whoa, what's going on here?"
Lorna spoke up. "Hi, I'm Lorna and this is Chuck. Listen, I don't know what's been going on, but we need your help..."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
On a cold mountain in Norway, Brock Bannen trudged slowly down an icy path. He hoped he wouldn't get lost on the way to the only airport in a five mile radius. Not that he would know if he had; he was the first of his people since the now-legendary Princess Tora to venture out of their hidden mountain kingdom. The chances that he would make it to the airport at all were minimal. But he didn;t really care. He knew his destiny lay in America, with the Legion. Gritting his teeth, he trudged forward through the icy snow.
*********************************************** Back in Colombia, Lorna had explained the situation to Zoe, Jenni and Chuck, and the four of them were now flying (courtesy of Zoe) back to the Lexcorp Building. Lorna strained her eyes, trying to see if she could find any sign of her friends.
[ March 11, 2004, 12:14 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Varalent on :
Conan Doyle Arlington hated his name, hated it so much he refused to answer to it. He went by the nickname "Condo", which he had proudly given himself. Of course he hated everything about his life, not just his name! He hated where he lived, he hated his school, his teachers, neighbors...you name it! But most of all he hated his parents and the life they had forced on him. It just wasn't fair!
His mother was a former English professor (hence his stupid name!) and his father was a biophysicist in the employ of Luthor Corp. Condo hated that most of all. Mr. Luthor was a creep but his parents thought he was god's gift to the world!
The Creep had sent Dr. Arlington to work in the Luthor Corp facilities in the Putumayo region of Columbia over a year ago to supervise the culmination of some secret project.
It was something big...really big!
Condo's father had been involved in it for about 17 years, first joining the project back in the States when it was in it's preliminary stages. That was a year or two before Condo was born. Arlington spent his entire life in his lab, heading off before sun up and rarely coming home before dark.
Of course, Dr. Arlington never spoke about his work. It was always "the project" never anything else. And it was never, EVER discussed or explained...to anyone! As a youngster, Condo had quickly learned that the fastest way to earn a brutal beating at the hands of his father was to ask too many questions about what he did.
Condo had learned many ways to earn a beating over the years, unfortunately. Coming home too early in the afternoon was another big one. It interfered with his mother's favorite pasttime... "entertaining" a number of the other men at the complex.
Condo had good reason to hate his parents, of that he was sure.
Recently however, he had accidently discovered something that made him happy for once. He had realized that if he concentrated really hard, he could make things happen to all kinds of stuff. After doing some quiet research in the Library he had come to the conclusion that his new ability was due to radiation, or something, to which his father had been exposed years ago. This exposure must have caused a mutation in him, which was now manifesting itself.
Over the past few weeks, Condo had discovered that he could make metal rust over completely or speed up the growth rate of plants. He could even increase his own metabolism to the point where he became much stronger and faster. Unfortunately, that effect didn't last long. His body used up so much energy when he did this that he quickly burned himself out and passed out. He had yet to figure out how to gage it, but he would.
At the moment, he was out at the edge of the rainforest behind his house, practicing with his new skill when he heard the alarms sounding & the loudspeakers blaring over at the laboratory complex. As he began running towards the commotion there was a massive explosion that destroyed his house and knocked him flat on his back...
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Zoe was really excited now. This was just like in the movies! Beside her, Chuck coughed nervously into his handkerchief, and gave the girls an apologetic smile. Zoe smiled back, and Chuck blushed a deep crimson red. She flashed a grin at Jenni, who grinned back. Boys could be so silly!
Luornu gave an excited gasp, and quickly motioned for Zoe to land beside a group of teenagers who were standing outside the compound. Once they touched down, Luornu ran and gave a brunette dressed in white a big hug.
"You guys! I'm glad you're all right!" "Good to see that you are, too!" "That was some escape, Lorna!"
"Yeah, and I brought some new friends. But it looks like you didn't need reinforcements, after all, huh? "We already found some of our own," said Irma. "I'd like you to meet Lyle and Sally."
Zoe stepped back in surprise as a boy and a girl appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The boy grinned at their discomfiture.
Ignoring the questions that popped into her head, Lorna quickly introduced Zoe, Jenni and Chuck, then asked the others for a rundown of the situation.
"It seems that Lex Luthor has been up to some illegal experiments over here," Rex said. "Lyle and Sally here have shut down the operation, and..."
"And we were just about to find Luthor and give him a solid ass-kicking!" Garth said.
"Um... I think we should go find our friend Reed first." Sally spoke up. "He really should have been back here by now."
"Agreed. I'd really like to meet one of our saviors, as well as the twelfth member of our little Legion." Imra said. "Assuming, of course, that all five of you want in?"
She didn't even have to use telepathy to guess what their answers would be.
"Great!" said Tina. "Now we just have to find Reed. Imra, have you-"
"Already done. He's alive, but he's definitely not himself right now..."
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
The pile of orange goo on the floor thought about it's predicament. Which was odd, because piles of goo weren't meant to think, it told itself. They were just meant to sit quietly in a corner and wait to be cleared away. It tried to think of how it came to be in this situation, but to it, it's present situation seemed like how it had always been. Suddenly, it felt itself being moved into a container. That was rude, it thought, and resolved to do something about it. It lifted it's arm up, and before realising that piles of goo weren't meant to have arms, pulled itself from the container...
[ March 12, 2004, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Interlude: Here's an update on the characters in the story right now:
Legion roster
Rex Kline (Cosmic Boy)
Irma Ardeen (Saturn Girl)
Garth Raines (Live Wire)
Lorna Durgo (Triad)
Tamara "Tina" Wazzo (Apparition)
Quentin Docks (Brainiac 5)
Also about to be inducted…
Reed Daggly (Chameleon)- as a pile of orange goo
Sally Digby (Shrinking Violet)
Lyle Norga (Invisible Kid)
Zoe Saunders (Kinetix)
Jenni Ognats (XS)
Charles "Chuck" Tan (Bouncing Boy)
Introduced but not thus far part of the Legion
Eileen Raines (Spark)- apparently still in Kansas, but making plans to follow Garth
Paul Kline (Magnetic Kid) - apparently still in MN
Jose Rimbaud (Ultra Boy) - being examined by Navy doctors on a Navy vessel
Tom Kallor (Star Boy) - somewhere in New South Wales
Tatiana and Greg Mallor (Umbra and Shadow Kid) - somewhere in England
Jan Arrah (Element Lad) - looking for RJ Brande
Nura bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal (Dream Girl) -en route to New York to join the Legion
Monius Ellysius (Mon-el) - recently awakened in the Zone of the Phantoms
Laura Long (Insect Queen) - in STAR labs?
Brian (Timber Wolf)- in a military base in Texas
Maizah bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal (White Witch) - en route to meeting the Princess in Moldovia
Princess Jacqueline Projectra - in Moldovia, waiting for Maizah
a Block (Blok) - emerged from the ground in Moldovia to fight the Eye
Dirk Morgna (Sun Boy) - near the area where Blok emerged in Moldovia
Brock Bannen (Polar Boy) - en route to New York to join the Legion
Conan Doyle Arlington, "Condo" (Chemical King) - headed for the Lexcorp Compound where the Legionnaires are
Ten Zil Kim - in a military installation outside of Seoul
plus an "offshoot of the Ute tribe that lived downwind of the U.S. government's Nevada Atomic Test Site, and got more than a normal dose of radiation", who now have wings on their backs. One family in particular has been described as having "psychic powers" - so I guess this means Dawnstar will be making a comeback too.
Other Characters
Mark Raines (Lightning Lord)- whereabouts unknown
RJ Brande
Jeanne Chu
Sara Romanescu, the "Empress of Venegar" - a servant in the Royal Palace of Moldovia who is waiting for the Eye
Mordru - Nura and Maizah's father
The Emerald Eye - apparently looking for Sara
"Godzilla"
Universo - imprisoned and sedated, but able to break free for short periods
Ambassador Winema Wazzo
Azura Saunders - Zoe's mom, headed to New York to warn the Legion about Mordru
Ramiro Puerta - a Colombian guerilla who was caught in the same explosion that Reed was caught in, and whose body was "completely charred, deformed, reminiscent of an insect"
End Interlude
[ December 08, 2011, 10:18 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
In a secret underground chamber, a scientist checked on the Very Important Prisoner being held in maximum security. The prisoner was kept virtually unrestrained, except for a pair of handcuffs. This may seem odd, but then it was the prisoner's mind, not his body, that was considered the most dangerous.
A warning light flashed on the panel above the "coffin". The scientist's eyes widened, and he held his breath, hoping that the light ould go out again. His hands hovered above the control panel, just in case. But he knew it probably wouldn't do him any good.
Eight seconds later, it did.
The scientist heaved a sigh of relief, then quickly went to increase the amount of sedatives being pumped into the prisoner's bloodstream. Thank the lord he didn't wake up completely! As it is, eight seconds would have been enough time for him to have temporarily taken control of a person's mind, and the effect of that control would have left them in a trance state for at least a few minutes after. He was too dangerous to be allowed to go free. He wondered if maybe they should just kill him and be done with it all.
The shrill cry of the phone interrupted his thoughts. He grabbed the receiver.
"Hello? Madame Chu? Yes, yes, the prisoner is secure. No, no, we haven't found a way to control him yet. But we're working on it. What? Two months? I can't promise anything, madame... Yes, yes, I know. We'll keep working on it. We know what the price of failure is... Don't worry, madame, Project Universo won't fail you."
Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
At an army installation outside of Seoul, Ten Zil Kim awoke hungry. He was the child of a Korean army officer and an American nurse. His father worked in a top secret biological warfare lab funded by the Americans. Little did Ten's father know that weaknesses in the safety procedures of the lab had exposed him to a dangerous strain of microbes that was currently destroying his digestive system, and was having an even more unexpected impact on the metabolism and digestive systems of his two teenage sons...
Posted by M'onel on :
At a group home in Timmins, Ontario; Laurel Gander was watching the younger children play. She resented being orphaned and knowing that couples only wanted younger children. What she resented even more was the man that killed her mom and friend, and their fellow scientists and soldiers.
She hailed from a Canadian/US military outpost called 'Rock Reef Point' in the desolate Canadian shield where there were potential deposits of an ore that could produce an indestructable alloy dubbed 'Interon'. This attracted the attention of Zander Roxxas and his terrorist organization White Triangle, who stormed the compound and stole the samples of Interon. None of the occupants save for Laurel who activated the self-destruct of the base destroying the Interon samples and half of Roxxas' raiding party.
The shock of seeing her parents killed activated Laurel's latent meta-gene that gave her powers comparable to Superman himself. Her only living relative Elton had her placed in the orphanage for her own safety. Since then Laurel has been training in her powers bringing us to today...
She sighed and went back inside where a disgarded newspaper caught her eye. The announcement of the Legion of Super-Heroes by the billionaire R.J. Brande. Tired of staying put in this boring group home. Laurel packed up her belonged and snuck out of the orphanage, to seek out R.J. Brande and the Legion of Superheroes.
[ March 13, 2004, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: M'onel ]
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Tikhik Miraz waited with ever-increasing patience. The young Russian had been captured months ago, transported to he-didn't-know-where and experimented upon with a large group of others in an attempt to create some sort of corporate super-army. Most had died, but a few, himself included, had manifested powers. Now they were being kept in solitary, power-draining confinement. But, however inhuman he had become, his desire to be free had never wavered, and he had kept his teleportation "gates" had kept well beneath what he could feel he could achieve in their insidious tests. He could feel it now - he was ready. And in tommorrow's test, he knew he could get far beyond their reach. And then he'd arrange for the capitalistic bastards to get what was coming to them...
Posted by The Big Bad on :
Suicide Slum, Metropolis
Len Snart couldn't believe it. He'd planned for every contingency: Intergang, the SCU, even those new superheroes that were starting to pop up. There was nothing that could stand up to his Ice Gun. And nothing did. With ease that surprised even him, he made off with two million dollars of Intergang Money. Now all that was left was the getaway. He checked to see if he was being followed, and headed to his apartment.
“Going somewhere?” said a voice behind him. Len turned around and saw that it belonged to some punk kid in a leather jacket, who was accompanied by two identical looking rejects from an Alexandre Dumas novel wearing hoodies. “Hey, is that Intergang money in the bag?” continued the punk.
Len Snart reached for gun in its holster. Those punks didn't stand a chance, he thought. But, before he could shoot, or even fully draw his gun, he was knocked out by the kid in the jacket, who had somehow managed to get behind him in seconds.
The kid kneeled down beside the unconscious Snart. “Well, now, lesee, what you were trying to shoot us with,” he said, as he picked up the fallen man’s ice gun. “Whoa, will you look at this. Doug, Andy, have you ever seen a gun like this?” He exclaimed, as he threw the gun to one of his companions, the one called Doug.
“Hey, Kon, check the money,” Said Andy to the teen in the jacket. “How much does he have in there?”
Kon opened the bag, and saw that it was filled with packets of dollars, mostly twenties and hundreds. “Quite a bit, actually. I’d say half a million, easy. Maybe more.”
“Take $30,000 and leave the rest. We don't want him tracking us down later,” said Doug. He dropped the gun at Len’s feet. “That’s some cool hardware you got there, pal. See you around, and thanks.”
[ December 08, 2011, 08:48 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Varalent on :
"Did I hear you say you were here to give Luthor an ass kicking?" Condo asked as he made his way over to the group of youngsters he had spotted when he picked himself up off of the ground after the blast. "If so, then I want in. I owe him big time for what he did to me!"
"And just who the hell are you?" Garth asked as Condo joined the group.
Condo quickly introduced himself and told them what he knew (very little) about the secret facility and the project.
"What about your parents?" Lorna asked. "Shouldn't you see if they're okay?"
"No," was Condo's reply. "I'd just as soon not know. Let them think I died in the explosion, they haven't cared about me since the day I was born so it will be a relief for them if I'm no longer around anyway!"
Rex looked a Irma questioningly and she quickly and discreetly scanned Condo's mind. "It's true. Actually it's even worse than he's letting on. It would be best for all of them this way. Why do people have children if they're going to treat them so horribly!"
"Okay, then Condo, welcome to the group!" Rex said, silencing the debate that had been going on among the Legionnaires. "Now lets finish this."
It took Condo a moment to realize that he had just been accepted into the group. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the kid who appeared to be able to disappear. "Lyle, I think his name is. Why am I so drawn to him?" Condo couldn't help but notice that Lyle kept glancing at him as well and then looking away hurriedly.
Posted by The Big Bad on :
Actually, I wasn't going to use Clark; he's just mentioned as part of Kon's origin, and I wanted to have dibs on him for that purpose. And no, you can't use Kon, at least not yet. There's a story I want to do with him, and then you can use him, 'k? Or you could just PM me your plans and see if we can work something out. And didn't somebody start using Ayla (or whatever her counterpart's name is)already? Or was that you?
Posted by Juan on :
The instant the Eye touched her, Sara Romanescu knew. She knew about the history of her family and their mystical connection to the Emerald power. And she knew about the Moldavian royal family and their role in keeping the Romanescus as servants over centuries.
The reaction was furious. With a single blast, the Emerald Empress (because that is what she was now) blew up the Royal Castle of Moldavia. She was not giving any quarters. She then proceeded to systematically annihilate anybody and everybody from the castle that had survived the blast. And then she found what she was looking for: the king of Moldavia, Voxv the Fifth, and his daughter, Proiectra.
The battle was fierce, Voxv and Proiectra had trained for this moment all of their lives. Voxv's powers were offensive in nature, he shot out blasts designed to hurt the Eye. And they did, in the beginning. Proiectra was one of very few sentients who could actually confuse the Eye, she worked incessantly in hiding herself and her father from it. She also concentrated on Sara, hoping to somehow be able to sever the symbiotic relationship between her and the Eye. But while Proiectra fought rationally, Sara fought visciously, consumed in an all-encompassing fury. And that made all the difference. When the Eye finally hit her father, Proiectra knew that everything was lost.
A mile away, Dirk Morgna was flying through the air, propelled by the woman in white at his side. A green glow filled the horizon at the place where the Moldavian Royal Palace should have been. "We're too late." Maizah Al-Nayal was frowning.
Below, a stony figure seemed to melt down, back into the Earth.
Posted by The Big Bad on :
“Thank you again for the help, Andy. Dios lo guarde,” said the shopkeeper in that thick Puertorrican accent she had not managed to get rid of, even after twenty years in the states.
“No problem, mami. See you tomorrow!” Andrew said, as he exited the store. True, Angela Pérez wasn’t his mother, but he wouldn’t call her any other way, nor would she accept any other name. She was one of the very few people he knew in Suicide Slum who wasn’t uncomfortable at the sight of his deformed face, and she eagerly gave him a job when he asked for one. As far as Andy was concerned, he had no mother but her.
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.”
[ March 16, 2004, 02:02 AM: Message edited by: The Big Bad ]
Posted by Varalent on :
On the table in front of him sat the morning newspaper, open to an article recounting the story of RJ Brande's new group of teenage wonderkids and another, more ominous in nature, on the same page; a ceremonial tea set with the tea slowly chilling; a writing tablet and pen; and an old faded photograph.
The old man was purposefully writing a long letter of introduction to an old, dear friend for his young charge. As soon as he was done and he had made the final arrangements, he would send for the young man. But first he had to finish his letter and await confirmation from the agency that all the travel arrangements were completed.
He hated that this had to be so abrupt but he knew in his heart that this had to be done today. He could not risk the Evil One discovering the boy's existence. The fortuitous pairing of the two articles on the same page in the Times of Tokyo morning edition was an omen.
The one about the emergence of the Black Dragon as preeminent in the recent crimelord wars that had rocked Japan's society portended evil coming Sensei's way. This new Black Dragon would seek to exact revenge for the damage Sensei had caused him and his organization in the past.
The other article, the one abut RJ's newest endeavor, provided the counterpoint that always existed in this world. The rise of evil in power was always balanced by the rise of good to combat it. This is Ying and Yang. This was the bedrock of Sensei's lifelong beliefs.
It had been many years since he last contacted RJ but he knew that his friend would provide whatever help was in his power to give. RJ was altruistic to a fault and he would not turn away from the needs of a young orphan.
The phone rang and moments later the endgame had begun.
"Have young Vance come to me immediately," he instructed one of his servants. "Say nothing to him other than that I require his presence immediately. While I am speaking with him you are to have his belongings packed and brought out to the car. He will be going to the airport to catch a plane as soon as I am finished speaking with him."
"Yes, Sensei," the servant replied and hurried off to do the old man's bidding.
Two hours later, Vance was on a plane to Metropolis in the United States, country of birth of his long dead mother. "Not Vance," the boy reminded himself as he struggled to fight down the tears, the fear, and the confusion as he remembered the end of the conversation. "You are Vance Armstrong no longer. From this moment forward I give you a new name. You are now Val Armor, derived from Valiant One, for this is what I have trained you and taught you to be all these years, valiant armor in defense of mankind. You go now because it is time. Time for you to join with other valiant youth in the battle against evil. Make me proud, my son! He called me 'son' SON He never called me that before! I promise Sensei, I will make you proud!"
[ March 18, 2004, 03:20 AM: Message edited by: Varalent ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
When the eye finally hit her, Projectra knew that everything was lost. She closed her eyes, and her final thoughts were that she'd be with her parents soon anyway...
...and suddenly, she opened them and realized that she was being carried through the air. She looked up and saw the young man holding her, and wondered how he could be flying and be able to hold her so lightly in one arm. "Ugh..." was all she was able to whisper, and when she asked who he was, he did not seem to understand.
"Monius Elysius," he said, with a nod, seemingly able to tell that the language barrier was too great and that his name would suffice.
Minutes earlier, Monius awakened after a pain in his head that was so intense that it seemed to fry his brain. The pain caused him to ignite two beams of fire from his eyes, destroying the cave entrance that trapped him. He had no idea how long he was asleep, only remembering that he was in Persia and had contracted a fatal lead disease some time ago.
But the Emerald Eye had awakened him, that much he knew, and he sensed it. He remembered it well, and the legends of it from hallowed antiquity. Able to sense it in his head still, he quickly flew at top-speed across the mountain scape through ancient Antioch into the rugged country-side only to see this young girl about to be destroyed by the Eye and the girl it had possessed.
Deciding to grab her and spare her life, he flew in the other direction, only to see two other figures approaching, one woman in white and a man with very feminine features that seemed to be glowing.
Monius was tired, confused and covered only in his Roman armor and red cape. His hair was short, in the traditional Roman style of the Warrior's Crop. In all the confusion, he had forgotten to grab his spear, his gladium and his shield. And suddenly, he remembered that he was dying from lead poisoning. Perhaps the Eye had succeeded in killing him, since he was dying the minute he awoke and left the tomb.
He flew to the other two and looked at the young beautiful princess. He wished he could find someone that spoke Latin...
Posted by Juan on :
Proiectra and Maizah recognized each other instantly, even though they had never seen each other in their lives. They were both puzzled about the man in the Roman garb, but they were not going to argue with him, he had just saved Proiectra's life. Monius Ellysius knew that Proiectra was a friend, because she was fighting the Eye when he found her. And the other two, the woman in white and the effeminate boy with the golden hair, seemed to be friends of her.
"Quickly, we must go back, my father is going to get killed!" In her heart, Proiectra knew that it was probably already too late, but she was not ready to give up hope. And with Maizah at her side, there was actually hope that they might defeat the Eye. Monius looked puzzled, he didn't understand Proiectra's Moldavian. Explanations were quickly given in the form of life-like illusions, and the four turned towards the castle.
Surprisingly, the green glow of the Eye could still be seen, the Empress hadn't left.
"Father?"
Proiectra's heart sank the moment she saw her father, he had indeed been killed by the blast that she had witnessed before. But why was the Empress still here? The answer came when she came into view: the Eye was fully occupied fighting what seemed to be an entity made out of rock who appeared to have control over the Earth itself.
[ March 15, 2004, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by LoneWolfLondo on :
Hasim Diyarbakir, son of the Turkish ambassador to Greece, was not one given to obeying orders. He excelled at virtually everything he had ever tried to do. He was an accomplished athlete, a brilliant student, spoke ten languages, and could hack into virtually any computer system anywhere. He was amazing, and he knew it.
Hasim saw absolutely no reason to listen to his father's order not to wander off on the tour they had taken. He was bored and anything was better than listening to that stupid guide drone on about ancient history. His father had dragged him on more and more of these trips since his mother had died two years ago. He found this to be especially strange since mother had died in an accident travelling to see her relatives in Turkey. The cave didn't look particularly deep when he first stumbled upon it, but it was cool and dark and far away from the rest of the tour. He sat for a minute, eyes quickly adjusting to the gloom. rising from the rock on which he'd rested, he ventured further into the cave. After fifteen minutes he was hopelessly lost and completely unwilling to concede this point. Stubbornly he pushed on, feeling his way along the cave walls. At this point only the light from his cell phone display allowed him to see at all. So it was quite a suprise when he rounded a corner and found her. Leathery wings draped around her scaly body, blood running from her mouth and her hungry yellow eyes. "Boy", she hissed, "What have you brought me?" "I..I don't...what do you want?" he stammered. "Respect. Fear. A new DVD player ", she snapped, "but blood will do". She sniffed the air around him, her coppery, foul breath so powerful it felt like snakes sliding across his face. "Mmm, yessss", she hissed, "there it issss." "Boy", she whispered softly, "Did you know your father had your mother killed? She knew too much about his dealings and he knew she'd tell her family. Did you know that boy?" "No", Hasim answered quietly, "No I didn't know." "Would you like to avenge her boy? It's kind of a specialty of mine". "How?" he asked. "I'll give you whatever you need" she replied, "as long as you kill him. Wealth, power, name it. You want to fly? It's done. Bend steel? Done. Just as long as his blood is spilled." Hasim thought for just a moment before answering. "I want to be able to do whatever those Legion kids I saw on the news can do, but better. I want to be able to beat each and every one. Can you do that?", he asked coldly. She glared at him. "Can I borrow your cell phone?" she asked. He stared, uncertain why the horror would ask this. "Come on kid, hand it over!", she snapped and he did. Dialing deftly with gore spattered claws she placed a call. "Hey, hi", she said rather cheerfully to the other party, "It's Tisiphone. Yeah, I know, ages. Listen, that favor you owe me? Yeah, well, got a kid here needs your mojo." Tisiphone paused, and handed Hasim the phone. "She needs to talk to you", she said. Hesitantly he picked up the bloody phone and put it to his ear. From the other end a soft voice whispered, "Nemesis", and Hasim began to shake. Tisiphone took the phone back and made plans for a lunch date. Then she turned to him and said, "There you have it kid. Power from the goddess even Zeus was afraid of. Match and beat any opponent you come across, one at a time. Kill your dad and the deal is sealed. Stiff me and I have you for lunch". Hasim, already feeling his body begin to mirror her power, just smiled. "Not a problem. First dad, and then those stupid holier than thou Legion kids. Oh yeah, we got a deal." "Good", replied Tisiphone, last of the Furies as she extended a claw to shake his hand. "Do this right and everyone will know your name". Hasim turned to leave and then stopped. "Name", he said. "What was that name again?" "Nemesis, kid" she replied, "Her name is Nemesis". Hasim nodded silently, walking in what he now knew was the direction of the exit. He couldn't wait to rejoin the tour now.
He had so much to show them.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"You're sure?"
"Again, of COURSE it's gonna work. YOU wanna suggest to the boss he makes sub-standard stuff or somethin'?"
The other man shut up.
He checked the screen again. Their target was still flying at a phenomenal rate, faster than he'd have believed possible. But the computer was designed to allow for that in it's aiming, so he'd been told. In less than 30 seconds, it'd be in range.
"You're..."
"SHUT UP!"
Sick of his partner's incessant whining, the other man concentrated. The aim may be automatic, but the firing was manual, and at the rate it was moving, he had ten seconds at best to push the button. He counted down silently
4... 3... 2... 1...
He fired.
----------------
Laurel had been flying for hours. She didn't want to go through officialdom to get to the team - that would be begging for a rejection and for someone to try and send her back to the orphanage (heh, like they could), but she didn't know where they were, and even with her speed and sight, she needed some idea of where to look to find them. The announcement hadn't said where their first mission was, only that they were "setting out." She had time though - at this height and speed, no-one could see her, and it wasn't as if she actually needed food anyway.
*ugh*
She'd been so focused on scanning the horizon, she hadn't noticed the van beneath, and she'd been hit. Disorientated, she'd fallen halfway to the ground before she recovered and levelled off. Eyes glowing red, she looked around for what had hit her, when another ruby pulse from the laser cannon hit her. She barely managed to recover from that one, but as she did and saw the van, a third pulse hit her skull, and she fell, already unconscious by the time she landed with a "thump."
---------
The two men hurried to pick her up.
"Sheesh, it's a lot heavier than it..."
"What did I tell you about shutting up?"
They bundled her into the van, and into the last unoccupied statis tube, closing and activating it quickly as she joined the several others who suffered a similar fate in the tubes beside.
The second man pushed a button, to make the obligatory report to his control freak of a boss - "Sir - we got the flier. It's a female."
"Excellent. Get them to the programming centre quickly."
As the man in the van signed off, Leonard McCauley sat back in his chair, adjusted his glasses and thought that if Brande thought he was going to have a monopoly on little pet freaks to do his bidding, he had another thing coming.
[ March 16, 2004, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Varalent on :
Brian Landon couldn't believe what he had just seen! There had been someone flying above his perch on the side of the sheer cliff. Flying! He could barely believe his eyes! But then some type of light ray had burst from a van on the road below and hit the flying man. Not once, or twice, but three times before he was knocked out of the sky!
As Brian rushed to descend from the heights, he kept watch and saw two men exit the van, collect the body of the flyer and carry it into the van.
He had to get down there to help whoever that was!
In his reckless rush, he almost lost his grip a few times but managed to save himself each time by sheer strength of will. Unfortunately the slips cost him time. Just as he reached the ground and prepared to spring at the van, it took off.
Heedless of the danger he tried running after it but even his enhanced speed wasn't enough and Brian soon fell far enough behind that he knew he would be unable to catch up. He had, however, gotten a good look at the van and had memorized the license tag number. MC244.
Of course, the side of the van also read McCauley Industries so he had a pretty good idea of who was responsible. There was a McCauley Industries facility about 20 miles from the Army base on which Brian currently lived. Since the van was headed in that direction, it was a good bet that facility was its destination.
20 miles was a bit longer than his normal daily run but what the hell. He had nothing better to do!
Posted by The Big Bad on :
“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.
“Would you give us a minute?” Kon asked. “We need to talk about this.”
“Of course.”
“So, what do you think?” asked Kon, once the three were all settled in Andrew’s room. “Think she’s for real?”
“I don’t know,” said Andrew. “I’ve heard of the D.E.O, but nothing about any Amanda Waller. Could go either way, really.”
“I agree. I think we should do it, though. Potential high reward for little potential risk.”
“Yeah, I agree. Wish we knew if they’re telling the truth. What do you think, Doug?”
“I think,” Douglas said, with some hesitation. “I think I may have a plan.”
It had been ten minutes since the three teens had disappeared to discuss their plans, and Amanda was getting impatient. She was just about to go check on them when they returned.
“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.”
[ December 08, 2011, 08:50 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
As Brian ran, the metahuman detector in the van went wild.
"You IDIOT!"
The second man inside the van saw the blip on the screen, moving faster than any human could, making a beeline straight for the McCauley Ind. complex. Then noticed that the "Hide identifiers" switch had not been activated. Activating it with an angry growl, he looked at his crewmate.
"If that guy gets in, it's both our heads. Literally - remember what happened to Rick and Bruce last year?"
The first man shuddered uncomfortably at the memory, and turned the van off-road, heading straight for the blip on the monitor, which though still far from the complex, was easily moving at 30 mph, as the second man moved to prime the laser cannon.
---------
Brian was making good time now, having covered at least 10 miles in 20 mins. He marvelled at just how fast he could move since that venom. Suddenly, he felt the ground beneath him crumble. He jumped, flipped and looked back at what had happened.
The same van which had shot the guy outta the sky earlier was now shooting at HIM!
He jumped, hopped, skipped and flipped, trying to avoid the laser cannon. But it was relentless, and he wasn't as tough as Laurel - eventually it hit him, and one blast was enough.
----------
The men argued for a few moments over what to do. The first man argued that they had no free statis pods, they should just kill him and be done with it, but eventually the second man prevailed. Taking a pair of tranq guns, they went out and, before approaching him, shot at least three darts into him to ensure he wasn't feigning unconciousness. Then two more to make sure he stayed out until they could get him back to base. They bundled him into the back of the van, and the second man reported back the reason for the delay, and to have an extra statis pod ready. Then they drove off, unobserved, leaving no trace but for a few already-vanishing marks in the dust...
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Tikhik looked around, at the monsterous creature on his left with shrunken legs and a large, heavy tail, to the man who never moved from his spot in his silver cell, jet black skin showing through the only window in his silver suit, at the front of his helmet - both seemingly needed helmets to breathe. Another means of control - he supposed he should be thankful that, however misshapen his own body had become, he could still breathe normal air. In his cell block of four, only the girl who periodically set off jets of flame (useless against their bare cells and heat-proof walls and bars) could still pass as normal to even a cursory inspection. He swore yet again that he would let the world know what had been going on here...
Meanwhile, several floors above, the van had entered the complex through a hidden entrance, Brian was bundled into a statis tube, and all six of the tubes were moved to join a bank of as many as twenty pre-existing metahumans in a "statis bank" who had been "recruited" already. Making their own had proved problematic, with too low a success rate, and too many severely mutated examples to use as part of the PR team. Not that that was the only one planned, of course... _________________
The Legion, new members in tow, flew back from their partially sucessful first mission. They had routed the complex, but had found no trace of Luthor's direct involvement, frustrating though it was. As Docks examined the protoplasmic orange lifeform that Reed had become, Imra aided by testing for how much of Reed's mind remained, but suddenly she became distracted by a familiar telepathic call...
[ April 22, 2004, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jenni drummed her fingers impatiently as the plane made its way back to New York. Since they couldn't find any evidence of Luthor's involvement, they had decided to lookfor the source of the phone call she had heard earlier. If they could find the man she had heard talking... She was sure she and her newfound allies would see justice done.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Five minutes ago, Nura had been asleep, tired out from the multiple delays which had set her plans back nearly 24 hours.
Three minutes ago, she had started to dream of hazy images, tantalizing hints of the future. A red-haired woman desperately tying to reach out to a young girl, before a green orb and a powerful gigantic demon came. A jolly old man, trying to catch thirteen seeds before they fell into a deep hole. There was a boy, trying to find a path in a raging blizzard. And there was a small canister sitting on a plane, ticking ever so slowly...
One minute ago, Nura had woken up with a start. Her dream had confirmed many of her earlier visions and had filled in the blanks in her mind. Azura Saunders was coming to warn her daughter Zoe about Mordru and the mysterious Eye. The young Brock Bannon was coming to join the Legion. And they would arrive at the same time as she, all at the airport which Brande Industries had turned into the "forerunner of the future". Except that the future would never come if the bomb, which had been planted on her plane by the same people who had tried to kill the thirteen young Legionnaires, went off.
Thirty seconds ago, Nura had started desperately trying to make contact with Irma while she had started looking for the bomb.
Five seconds ago, she found the bomb right where she had seen it in her dream.
One second ago, she had succeeded in making contact with Irma.
Thirty minuites in the future, her plane, as well as Azura's plane and Brock's plane, would all reach the airport where Brande was now waiting expectantly for the Legion to arrive. And then, if the Legionnaires didn't arrive in time, they would all die.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Rex closed his eyes for a second, trying to get a minute's rest. He also tried to keep track of everything he had just learned about his new teammates. Zoe's power was telekinesis, Jenni wanted to avenge her mother's murder, Lyle had invented three new ice cream flavors, Sally could contact the Atom if she wanted... Plenty of seemingly useless information along with the useful, but Rex knew that a good leader shpuld know all his teammates. He was glad that Garth, Lorna and company had followed his lead and had started to get to know their new friends. True unity would be the only way they would last as a team.
He was planning a little trip for the twelve of them, thirteen if Reed felt up to it, to take as a way to bond when he heard Irma's voice. "Rex, we have a problem..."
Rex listened to her explanation, and his blood froze. Mr. Brande was in trouble, and so were two future Legionnaires, assuming this "Nura" really had foretelling abilities. But he couldn't take the chance. He had to decide fast; but things were risky. They were still too far away. There was a way they could reach New York in time, but if things didn't work right only their ashes would get there. Great. Just his first week as a leader and already he had to gamble the lives of the whole team.
"Irma, brief the others telepathically. Be careful not to alarm them, especially the new guys. I'll go convince the pilot to use Mr. Brande's new star-drive to get us to..."
"But isn't it still in the experimental stage? We didn't even use it on the way to Colombia!"
"We have no choice. We just have to pray that we make it. Besides, if this Nura says she's our newest Legionnaire, then the rest of us have to be around to accept her, right?"
Imra smiled at him, and got to work. Rex smiled back, then steeled himself. He headed for the cockpit, hoping that the pilot would have enough faith in them to risk his own life.
Posted by He Who Wanders on :
Rex Kline couldn't believe his ears. He was being replaced as Legion leader?
"It's true, lad," R.J. Brande explained once the team had landed in New York. "It comes directly from the UN Secretary General." Brande's voice could barely contain his anger.
Rex was almost speechless. All he could manage to say was "By who?"
"By me," a booming voice sounded. Rex turned to face a belt buckle. That's silly, he thought. Was it something he'd had to eat on the flight? But no, it was a real belt buckle. Then he looked up.
"First Lieutenant Gene Allen, United States Marine Corps, reporting for duty!" came the booming voice again. Rex could barely see the man's face as he was standing right in front of the sun. Rex guessed that this was the man's way of introducing himself, since, so far as he knew, he hadn't been renamed as well as removed as leader.
"He's big!" said Lyle's from a few feet away. Rex grimaced. Leave it to Lyle to state the obvious.
But then, as soon as he spoke, the giant did something no one expected. He got smaller. In an instant, he was just a foot or so taller than the Legionnaires. Only then did the Rex see that the man was barely older than they were. His brown hair was cut in a Marine buzzcut. He looked strong and rigid, but there was also something kind, almost boyish in his eyes.
"That's very impressive," Imra said. "How do you do that?"
"That's classified," Gene responded, curtly.
"You can tell them, lad," Brande said. "I've cleared it with Secretary General Chu."
Gene looked suspiciously at Brande for a moment, as if he wasn't about to trust just anyone. Then he must have realized who he was talking to, Rex thought, for he said, "I apologize, sir. I just flew all the way from Tikrit. It must be jetlag."
"Tikrit?" Garth said, incredulous. "You were in Iraq?"
"I was one of the first people in Saddam's stronghold," was the reply. "We were looking for WMDs. We found a bunker. It was booby-trapped."
"Oh no!" Imra said.
"It was some kind of strange gas," Gene continued. "It nearly killed everyone around me, but me ... it changed me, somehow. Now I can do this." An instant later, Gene stood 20 feet tall. "I was given a battlefield commission and made Lt. Colonel Zendack's personal assistant. Then I get orders to come here and take charge of this wet-behind-the-ears outfit."
"Now just a minute," Garth said. "We've already got a leader -- Rex." There were echoes of agreement from the other Legionnaires.
"Look, I don't have time to argue," Gene said. "I've even been given a codename -- Leviathan."
"Mr. Brande, isn't there anything you can do?" Lorna said.
"I'm sorry," Brande replied. "My hands are tied."
"Well, mine aren't!" Garth said, clenching his fist into an electric battery. "If Big Boy here wants to take over, he's going to have to go through us to do it, right, Rex?"
"Wrong."
"Wrong?"
Rex lowered his head and swallowed, then looked up. "It makes perfect sense. The Secretary General wants someone with experience in charge ... more experience than a high school sports champ has." He stepped toward the giant. Then, with his new teammates looking on in disbelief, Rex offered his hand.
"Gene Allen, Leviathan, welcome to the Legion."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Flashback: three hours ago
Nura clutched the canister to her chest as she sat in the plane's lavatory. She tried to ignore the irate man's fist pounding on the door, which she had locked. Better for him to wet his pants than for him to start a panic on the plane. She mentally cut off her telepathic conversation with Irma. She was far too upset to talk right now, anyway. She had no intentions of escaping from her father, only to die when the bomb she had found exploded. But what else could she do, besides trust in the Legionnaires? She closed her eyes and waited, as the tears fell from her eyes.
************************************************
Brock Bannon shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun as he stepped down from the plane. He had never imagined that it could be so bright and so clear; but then again, he had never imagined that any place could be so warm and so...colorful. Sure, he had seen them on television before, when technology had finally come to his home,(that was how he had learned about the Legion), but the limited dimensions of the screen never prepared him for the vivid variety of shapes and colors. The green leaves swaying on the tall trees; the red flowers that were being waved around by those people at the stall near the entrance; they were a far cry from the cold, frozen kingdom hidden in the mountains.
Using the limited knowledge of English he had learned from Princess Tora, he made his way to the gates. He had to find the office of RJ Brande. He had to join the Legion, as he had been told to do.
His mind went back to the night last week, when he had been summoned to the Royal Family's palace. The Queen had taken his hand as he knelt down, and had pulled him up. That action wasn't unusual; after the failed coup orchestrated by Prince Oswald four years ago, the Royal Family had lost much of its power and had become ceremonial. Nobles and commoners ruled the kingdom side by side, and the Royals had opened their doors to the people.
"Sit, my boy." the King had said as he offered him a chair. His bown eyes had twinkled as he had looked Brock up and down. "It looks like we have chosen well, my dear."
"Yes, husband." The Queen had replied. "Young Brock here will be a worthy guardian of our dear daughter Tora."
"Brock, do you know why you have been called here? Has the Princess told you all about it?" The Queen asked him gently.
"Yes, your Majesty." He had replied. "I am to be our kingdom's representative in the Legion of Super-Heroes, and act as an ambassador of goodwill in preparation for the Princess' mission to petition for membership in the United Nations."
"Indeed. Our kingdom has long been isolated, and only recently have we made contact with our neighboring kingdoms. But we have learned that magic alone is no longer enough to sustain us; especially now that much of it has been lost due to the actions of Prince Oswald. And for that he has been exiled." The King shook his head; whether in dippointment or disgust, Borck did not know. "We need outside aid if our people are to adapt and survive."
"We give you our blessings, young Brock. And we know you will not fail us. Now, go and rest. You leave early tomorrow. But do not fear. You will not be alone for long."
Back at his room, Brock lay on his bed, looking at his parents' picture. They had been killed during Prince Oswald's coup; he still remembered the fear on their faces as they ran from the soldiers. And the more he remembered the love they had shown when they had shielded him from the arrows. He carefully packed the picture away, vowing that he would do them proud.
Brock fingered the necklace around his neck as he remembered what had happened next. He had opened the door to find the Princess waiting outside. Her youth failed to hide the wisdom in her features; she had the wits of a snow fox, the calm strength of a wolf, the crystal serenity of a frozen pond and the beauty of a blooming alpine flower in the middle of the spring. And she was his friend and mentor. Although she was only a year older than him, she had rescued him from the burning deathtrap his house had become, and she had nursed him back to health. She had helped train him in the use of his ice powers, and she had lent him a willing ear and a comforting shoulder when his heart felt like cracking from the sorrow. That had been three years ago, and now both of them had grown.
"I am glad that you will finally get the chance to make all of us proud," she had said, her voice like chimes in the breeze. "Not that you have to prove anything; you are already one of the best student the ice mages have ever seen."
"Not better than you, I'm sure."
She had laughed at that; not a laugh of scorn but one of amusement. "Perhaps. We shall see." She had leaned closer to him then. "You are also the best friend I have ever had, Brock. Promise me you will be careful. Here, take this."
He watched as she placed the necklace in his open hand. It was silver, and worked with a pattern of snowflakes. Inside was a picture of the both of them, their faces somewhat grave as that had been the first time either of them had seen a camera. He chuckled. "Remember how we almost froze the cameraman when the flash went off?"
She laughed hard at that memory. "Oh, yes! He was really angry because his beard cracked and fell off!" She shook her head. "Be careful out there, Brock. I don't think everything out there is as harmful as the camera." He had promised, and then she had left. That was the last time he had seen her before he left.
Brock snapped back to the present, and, clutching the necklace in his hand, he headed for the airport's main office. Above him, a large hole of blue energy appeared in the sky as an airplane flew out of it and came hurtling toward the ground.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Rex tried to gather his wits together as the plane carrying him and his twelve teammates fell out of the sky. Hoping that he didn't toss his cookies, he quickly mind-linked with Irma.
"Irma, tell Garth and Lyle to grab the pilot! Then tell Zoe to head for the plane's door! We're going to create an opening. Make sure everyone is ready with the "flight rings" Quentin made!"
Rex used his magnetic powers to steady himself as he made his way to the plane door. He reflected on how lucky they were to have met all those new members in Colombia; without Jenni, they never would have known about the shady machinations in the government; without Condo and his chemical powers, Lyle and Quentin wouldn't have been able to trigger the right reaction to create their new flight metal; and without Zoe, he doubted he would be able to rip a hole open in time.
Bracing himself, he caught Zoe's eye and nodded. As soon as she nodded back, he turned his magnetic powers on at full force, and Zoe did the same with her telekinetic abilities. He watched as the side of the plane slowly bent outward. Slowly... slowly...
He was so focused on his task that he wasn't able to react in time when the plane suddenly shuddered. Losing his balance, he hit his head against the side of the plane and found himself sinking into unconsciousness...
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
"Rex!" Irma screamed as she watched him slump to the floor of the plane. Jenni sped over to him. "He's fine, he just has a little bump on the head."
"That's great news, but what about us? We still have to get off this plane, ya know." Condo said with a bit of a sneer.
"Zoe, do you think you can get us out of here in time?" Irma asked the struggling girl.
"I-I don't know! These powers are still new to me... I don't think I can do it in time!"
"Stand back! I'll blast our way out!" Garth said.
"This plane is made of metal. You will end up killing us all." Quentin pointed out.
"Damn! I knew we shouldn't have used that star-gate thingie!" Garth yelled. "Now we won;t even be able to save Mr. Brande!"
"I have an idea." Chuck spoke up. "If I bounce aganist the door while Zoe aims a blast at it, the combined force of our powers might be enough to open it."
"Go for it." Irma said. "The rest of you, get ready to use your flight rings. Quentin, use your forcefield to protect Rex and the pilot, and get them medical attention as soon as you reach the ground. Zoe, Condo, I need you to stand by to make sure the plane doesn't crash into anything once we're outside. Tina, Sally, as soon as we're clear look for Nura and the bomb. Lorna, you look for Mr. Brande and make sure he's safe. The rest of you, stay with me. We're going after the guys who planted the bomb on Nura's plane and tried to kill us in Colombia."
"Are you sure these things will work?" Lorna asked, pointing nervously at her flight ring. "You guys just finished them on the way here!"
"They should be." Lyle said. "Condo's powers were able to accelerate the reaction Quentin and I hypothesized would occur if ordinary iron were xposed to certain forces. And we tested it already. It should hold up."
"Then that's settled." Irma said, before anyone else could complain. "Everyone, gather at the door and be careful. We;re going out."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Irma watched nervously as Chuck and Zoe got ready. Reed has shifted to the form of an ape and was holding Rex and the pilot steady while Quentin, or Brainy, as they preferred to call him, encased the four of them in his forcefield. She hoped everything would be okay...
"I'm sure we'll be okay. You're doing a great job." Garth said behind her. She gave a start. It was almost as if he had read her mind.
"I... thanks." She smiled at him. He smiled back. "I guess you're more mature than I thought you were," she said. He just shrugged his shoulders. "My sister says that a lot, too."
"I hope I can meet her someday, after we get out of this." she replied, before putting her business manner on again. "But right now, we need to get out of here and do our job. Everybody ready?" Eleven heads nodded. "Good. Let's do it.
She watched as Chuck inflated himself, then jumped and bounced off the far wall. He hit the door right where the lock was. At the same time, Zoe used the full limits of her power to "push" against it. The door wavered for a while, and, as they all held their breath, it swung open. Irma closed her eyes as she felt herself being sucked out of the plane.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Brock watched in horror as the plane plummeted out of the sky. Suddenly, a grren glow appeared near the door, and what looked like a large ball bounced out of the door, followed by a bunch of teenagers. The Legion! It must be them! He watched as they gathered their bearings and flew to different parts of the airport. One of them, a girl dressed in green, flew after the plane. He watched as a green aura surrounded the plane, and it's descent started to slow. But it wasn't enough; the girl ppeared tired and the plane was far too large for her. He quickly made his way to the runway, and using his powers, created a large pile of snow. He hoped it would be enough.
*************************************************
Zoe closed her eyes as she strained her powers to their limit. She hoped she could do this; she hoped she would be strong enough. This was finally her chance to shine, to beat those girls who had snubbed her because she didn't have any pretty dresses to wear or any nice toys to play with. She concentrated, focusing on the staisfaction she would feel if they could see her now. She felt the plane slow down as she put all her powers into it. And then she felt it hit something. She opened her eyes, but not in time to stop herself from being buried in... snow?
She felt a hand pull her up. "Hi. My name is Brock. Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, even though my clothes aren't. Let me clean myself up first." She quickly used her powers to wring the wetness from her outfit. "Hi, my name is Zoe, and I'm a Legionnaire. Did you do this-"
Brock practically jumped at that. "You're a Legionnaire? Praise the North Wind! I want to join you!"
"Whoa, easy there, Brock. No need to get so excited. Besides, if you're as cool as your power is, then I don't think you have to worry about it. Come on, let's go find the others."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Nura wiped the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. It had been almost an hour since she had last "talked" to Irma; the Legionnaires must be on their way by now. She closed her eyes again and tried to find Irma.
"Nura? Is that you?"
"Irma? Your voice sounds different. Where are you?"
"I'm not Irma. My name is Tina. And you can open your eyes now."
Nura did, and nearly screamed at the sight of the brunette in white who was standing in front of her. "How... how did you...?"
"Easy. My name is Tina Wazzo, code name Apparition. Pardon me for just walking in." Tina said, demonstrating her ability to phase through objects by walking through the sink. "That must be the bomb you told Irma about. Come on, lets get out of here. Take my hand."
Tina quickly phased Nura, herself and the bomb out of the plane, and they flew down to where Irma and the others were waiting.
As Tina set the bomb down gently, Sally shrunk down and unscrewed the bombs outer casing. She then grew again and and made way for Lyle, who studied the bomb'b interior. Then he beckoned for Condo to come over. Oddly enough, Condo blushed before taking his place beside Lyle. Tina shook her head. Boys sure could be weird, sometimes.
Beside her, Nura and Irma were having a heartfelt reunion.
"Nura! It's great to finally meet you face-to-face!" Irma said as the two girls hugged. "Where's Maizah? She isn't back yet?"
"No, but she... Oh!" Nura said as she felt a vision coming. She held her head between her hands; it was so vivid!
"Is she okay?" Jenni asked. "Should I bring her to the clinic where Rex and the pilot are?"
"No, she'll be fine. She's just having a vision." Irma said. "It happens all the time."
"Looks like we've found our fourteenth member." Sally said, coming up to them.
"Sally? I thought you guys were going to defuse the bomb?" Chuck asked, the surprise evident in his voice.
"Oh, Condo and Lyle are taking care of that. Lyle said they didn't need me anymore, anyway."
"So, is that it? What do the rest of us do?" Garth said.
"I suggest you keep the crowd from panicking." Irma said. "Take Chuck with you; I'm sure he'll be able to think of something to say. I'll see to Nura."
"Fine. Come on, Chuck."
"Nura? You okay, honey?" Irma asked as Nura gathered herself.
"Irma! There's another bomb over in Brande's office! It's set to go off in fifteen minutes!"
"Not again..." Irma sighed. "Lyle? Are you done over there?"
"Not yet!" Lyle replied. "It'll take us at least seven more minutes."
"We don;t have enough time for that!" Irma said. "Jenni, take Reed and Sally with you. I'll contact Lorna and transmit the location to you." Jenni nodded, and sped off with a shrunken Sally and a transformed Reed in tow. Irma just shook her head. "This just gets better and better..."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Lorna tried to keep calm as she punched in the security code to Mr. Brande's office. She hoped everything would be all right outside. She hadn't even bothered to look and see if the others were okay; as soon as she had gotten clear of the plane she had made her way to the main offices. It wasn't that she didn't care for her new friends; it was that she cared for her adoptive father even more. He had rescued her all those years ago, and she was eternally grateful for that.
As she opened the door, she felt a gun press against the back of her head. Raising her arms, she turned around slowly, to find a masked gunman.
"I know you, girlie. You're one of them Legionnaires! Well, I can't let ya warn him about the bomb right now. Sorry, girlie, but you're not gonna get a bullet from me."
Lorna's impatience to get to Mr. Brande almost made her forget to be careful. Thinking quickly, she said, "Well, if you know so much about us, then I'm sure you already know about my invisible friend behind you."
"What? Where?" the gunman turned around. Fatal mistake. Lorna quickly triplicated, and using her jujitsu skills, had one of her "selves" grab the gun while another tripped him and the third gave him a sock to the jaw.
"Oh... Damn that invisible brat..." he said as he slumped down.
"Geez, what an idiot." Her "purple" self said as she hit him one last time to make sure.
"But what was that he said about the bomb?" her "orange" self asked. "What can we do?"
"If what that idiot said is true, then we'll have to call the others." Her "neutral" self said. "You two go get Mr. Brande out of here while I call Irma. Hurry!" She watched as her two selves ran down the hall. "Come on, Irma, come on..."
************************************************
Jan Arrah looked around the office in awe. He knew that this RJ Brande was rich, but the office was simple, though with high quality furnishings. Not at all gaudy, like some others would be. He was so fascinated by the pictures of the Legionnaires on the walls that he didn't bother listening to the exchange going on in front of him.
"Mr. Brande, I need you to find my daughter!" Azura said, encouraged by the kindly interest Brande showed. She had only had to wait a few minutes before being shown into his office, and he had been very hospitable. "Please, I know your Legionnaires can find her! She's a redhead, and she has these telekinetic powers..."
"Telekinetic powers, you say? Her name wouldn;t be Zoe, by any chance, would it?"
"Oh, yes! How did you know?"
"Why, I've just gotten word that young Zoe is one of our newest Legionnaires! She just joined the team over in their mission in Colombia!"
"Colombia? How did she... Well, I'm just glad she's safe for now! But she and the rest of the Legion may be in terrible danger! Young Jan here can explain it better than I can. I met him over in Europe, and he's been through a terrible ordeal." She turned to him. "Jan?" She said gently. "Jan, are you ready to tell Mr. Brande all about the Eye?"
Jan jerked out of his reverie. "Oh, yes, ma'am. The Emerald Eye is a mystical artifact that my people were supposed to protect. But when they were all slaughtered..."
Jan recounted his story as both RJ and Azura looked on, Azura's face grim, RJ's becoming grimmer as the full horror of Jan's story dawned on him.
"By damn!" he said, when Jan had finished. "You're a brave young man indeed, Jan. Not many could deal with that ordeal as well as you could have! As soon as the Legionnaires return, I'll tell them about your story. Then we'll..."
He was cut off as the door opened and Lorna rushed in... Or at least, two-thirds of her did. "Lorna!"
"Dad! We have to get out of here! There's a bomb!"
"What?" RJ said. "What are you talking about? Who could've..."
"I don't know, but I'm sure it's the same one who planted the bomb on the plane. Come on, let's get out of here!"
Just then, Jenni ran in with Reed, Sally and Lorna's third body. Jenni quickly headed for the corner of Brande's office, where the air vent was. Reed hopped off and, transforming into an ape, ripped off the vent. Sally then shrank down and tried to defuse it. Lorna quickly gathered RJ, Azura and Jan and tried to lead them out of the office.
"What's the matter?" Jenni asked as Sally grew. "Have you defused it already?"
"This bomb is slightly different from the other one. I can't defuse it!"
"What do we do now?" Reed asked. "Should we get Lyle to come over here?"
"There's no time!" Jenni said. "I'll just run out to the coast and drop the bomb in the ocean."
"But can you make it in time?" Sally said. "Even if you do get out of the city, you'll be killed!"
"I... I..." Jenni's resolve wavered. She had to avenge her mother. But then... she couldn't let them all die... She...
"Maybe I can help." Jan said, saving Jenni from a difficult choice. "I can use my powers to encase the bomb in titanium." Without waiting for an answer, he concentrated. Everyone else in the room just stared as a glow emanated from the bomb. "It's done. I regret that I can't change the bomb itself into something harmless, but I don't want to risk it going off." He turned to Jenni. "The extra weight might slow you down, but at least it will give us a better chance of survival in case the bomb does go off."
"Thanks. All right, wish me luck!" Jenni said as she sped off.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jenni found herself running for her life once more. Amazing, she reflected. She had first used her superspeed only a couple of months ago, and now it had become such a major part of her life. It had brought her into the Legion, and she could tell that they were special people who would make great friends. And she finally had a chance to find the true reason for her mother's death. She just hoped that she would survive this mission...
"Snap out of it, girl!" She told herself. "This isn't the time to let my mind wander..."
She quickly sped through the streets of New York, glancing at the bomb. Seven minutes left... six minutes... She pushed herself to go faster. Faster than ever before. She had reached her limit, and she was starting to tire. She dodged cars and people, who were moving so slowly that it looked like they were standing still. She was so close now...
"Jenni?" Hearing Irma's voice in her head nearly made her lose her balance. "Jenni, are you all right? You can stop now, honey."
"Whatareyoutalking aboutIrma?" she thought back. "I'm not far away enough yet! I have to go faster!"
"Jenni, listen to me! Rex is awake, and he can deal with the bomb safely!"
"There's no way he can get here in time!"
"Yes, there is! He-"
"I'm sorry, Irma. Please... if I don't come back, make sure you get whoever did this. Make sure my mother can rest in peace." Severing the link, Jenni ran like the wind, faster than ever before, not knowing where she would go next.
************************************************
"She won't listen, Rex." Irma said, feeling the telepathic link being broken. "She's running too fast now."
"Then I'm going after her. Show me where she last was." Rex steeled himself as he "saw" the images Jenni did, courtesy of Irma's telepathy. Then he closed his eyes, and dove through the "stargate" RJ Brande had in the airport. Last time, it had nearly killed the whole team. This time, it might just kill him again. But this time, he felt lucky.
************************************************ Rex swooped down out of the sky, probing magnetically for Jenni and the bomb. He only had five minutes left before it went off. As he felt the tendrils of magnetic pull sweep the ground, he concentrated hard on anything that was shaped like a small cylindrical object... or a tiny ring.
"Come on, come on...There!" Rex quickly but gently pulled Jenni's unconscious form up to him. "Poor kid... she must have tired herself out. Well, time to finish what she started."
Rex hurled the bomb out over the sea, where he watched it explode harmlessly over the waves, the explosion too contained and the debris too small to harm anyone. Rex heaved a sigh as he headed back. Maybe now he could sleep as peacefully as Jenni was sleeping right now.
[ March 20, 2004, 05:03 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Varalent on :
Val had watched in stunned disbelief at all the incredible activity that had taken place on the runway at the airport. Those had to be some of the members of the Legion that Sensei had told him about, of that he was sure, he told himself. What other teenagers could there be that demonstrated such incredible abilities!
Not knowing what exactly was going on, Val had watched from a distance but when Mr. Brande had arrived with another group of youths, a woman and a giant kid, he had decided to try to reach him. They had all gathered in one group and seemed to be having some kind of excited exchange out on the runway.
As he tried to find a way to get out there from the terminal, Val kept an eye on the group, even noticing when one of those in the newspaper picture, Cosmic Boy they called him, appeared out of nowhere with a young girl next to him. RJ had pulled Cosmic Boy aside and began speaking to him in private while the other milled around and talked amongst themselves.
Just as Cosmic Boy turned to the giant kid and extended his hand, Val spotted someone hiding behind some of the runway equipment raise what appeared to be a rifle of some sort and aim it at the group.
Wasting no more time, Val kicked open one of the emergency access doors to the runway and launched himself out the door and down to the tarmac. As the security alarm began shreiking, he landed, rolled to his feet and bounded towards the marksman, shouting a warning.
"Look out! He's going to shoot!"
With that he jumped at the shooter and quickly seperated him from the gun with a well placed kick. Then with just a minor flip of his wrist, Val rendered the gunman unconcious, catching him by his collar as he slumped to the ground.
As he looked up, he saw the others running towards him...
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
The woman looked at the television screen angrily. Despite her plans, RJ Brande and the girl who could foresee the future had both survived! That girl was a major threat to her plans, one which she didn't intend to ignore.
Still, it was far from a total loss. She had been able to gauge the abilities of the Legionnaires, and she had set the seeds for Luthor's downfall. Using the talents of Universo, she had been able to plant damning evidence in the minds if the hired thugs who had been caught by the Legion. Chu smiled. With Luthor out of the way, things would go so much easier.
She turned on the computer and accessed the files she kept hidden away amidst all the codes. Aside from Universo, she could contact the hitman known only as the Persuader and the exiled Prince Oswald. Her agents were now working on gathering information on the mysterious "Emerald Eye", and her scientists had given the go-signal on the cyborg Tharok and promised that the creature Validus would be ready within the month. Plus more reports of metahumans were coming in every day, metahumans whom she could trick, pressure or force into joining her army. Originally, she had planned on using only the first five; she had even thought of a name for them, the Fatal Five; but after today's events she decided that she would need many more. No, she needed a Legion of her own. A Legion of Super-Villains. And with this Legion, she could manipulate the whole world into accepting her as their leader, without question. Oh, yes, soon, very soon, it would all come true. And she would have the pleasure of destroying Brande and manipulating those brats of his as her own.
[ October 13, 2005, 02:53 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Varalent on :
As Val Looked up, he saw the others running towards him and he was soon surrounded.
"Who are you?" "Great job! I've never seen anyone fight so well!" "Irma, can you get anything from this guy's mind when he's out cold?" "Thank you son."
That last came from RJ Brande who had just been able to reach the others in the group.
"That's twice in just a few days that a youngster has saved my life at this airport. I don't know who is trying to kill me, but they sure are persistent! Now, who might you be so I can thank you properly?"
"Sir, my name is Va..Val, Val Armor. Sensei said I should find you and give you this letter."
"Sensei! My dear friend sent you?" RJ gasped "By damn, it's been years since I heard from him!"
"Here you are sir," Val said as he extended the envelope. RJ took it, opened it, and pulled out the letter. He recognized Sensei's beautiful handwriting immediately and he quickly read through the missive. Folding it up, he slipped it into his coat pocket and looked back at Val.
"Sensei writes that he has trained you in all manner of combat and requested that I let you become a part of my Legion. Having seen your skill and courage with my own eyes, I would have made the offer myself. But Sensei asks for something more. He asks that I treat you as if you were my own child. That is a great request he has made of me. One that few would dare. Yet Sensei knows that were he to ask me for my life I would gladly give it to him. So he knows what my answer to this request would be."
"Welcome Val Armor, welcome to the Legion," RJ said as he clasped Val's shoulder. "And welcome, my son. Welcome to my family and your new home!"
"Sir, we should get you inside and out of the line of fire, now!" Leviathan offered. "No need to give anyone another shot at you."
"Yes, I sup-..." Brande started to say but Val interupted him.
"But it wasn't Mr. Brande the gunman was aiming at!"
"It wasn't?" RJ said at the same moment as Leviathan and Cos.
"No, he was aiming at her," Val said as he indicated someone else in their group. Everyone slowly turned to see that he was pointing at...
...Lorna!
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
McCauley looked down the table. None of the men sitting there had his respect. They were there only because it wasn't possible for him to run everything himself. He cursed his limits, that he had to endure these shams of board meetings.
He asked for an update on the Workforce project. Specifically, the public team.
The first of his subordinates spoke up. "Well, we have, between experimentation and *ahem* recruitment, 32 metahumans at present in our possession, none of which have yet been programmed. There are 8 surviving experiments, held in the cells in the basement of the complex. Of these only two - the fire girl and the boy who "reflects" attacks - still appear completely human. Another two are humanoid, and four are misshapen to various degrees. The recruits are kept in stasis tubes in the main laboratory, and presently number 24. All your instructions so far have been followed faithfully sir.
He sighed. It was going to be a long meeting.
"What thoughts have been given to publicity?"
His PR man spoke up. "We were thinking that the tall, blonde female - the one with the Superman-style powers - would make for an ideal front person. You know - have her open buildings, be the one at the front of the publicity shots, pose for a magazine, like FHM or Maxim..."
The lawyer interjected. "Pose for a shoot in a magazine like that? The girl's a minor!"
The tediousness of it. One of his underlings actually had the germ of a good idea for once and another attempted to shoot it down...
"I am to understand that this girl appears to be somewhat older than she is." "Yes sir" (the PR man passed him a picture) - "I doubt anyone who saw her would realise her actual age unless they knew it already. It appears that her powers caused her to physically mature more quickly." "And who does know?" "From the information we have, she ran away from an orphanage, and hasn't had contact outside there in at least five years." "Right, well arrange to have the fire girl adopted by the same orphanage. And have some people there to pick off any survivors and retrieve her. As for this 'Supergirl'..."
The lawyer at the table spoke up - "Ummm... sir... all the names that start with "Super" are trademarked. We can't use them."
"Have the PR people draw up a shortlist of names then, then empty your desk for interrupting me. As I was saying, as for this 'Supergirl', this magazine shot idea is expected to attract considerable attention to the Workforce project, correct? Put out some feelers to be ready to close a deal as soon as the Workforce team goes public. And play up the 'Supergirl' angle even if we can't call her that - it should attract more attention that way. Arrange new documentation for her with a slightly different name and an age of 19, and adjust her memory of her age with the rest of the programming if need be."
"Sir?" - yet another underling interrupted, holding his hand up like a frightened schoolboy. "Yes?" "Y-Y-you do realise that the more changes are made, the less likely they all are to hold up? A-and we're already making some fairly significant..." "I was given to understand that provided the basic personality was left intact, then the mind could accept such things as a change of loyalties." "I-it's not that sir, i-it's the way you've included a requirement for a subservience to y-you in all the programming. In most of the cases, t-that's s-s-signific-cant enough to significantly increase the risk of r-reject..." "From point-1 of one percent to one percent, correct? That's low enough. If I may continue? Are there any other potential female candidates that would get significant publicity from a similar stunt? Either in support or separately?" "Perhaps the winged girl? The controversy alone would keep the Workforce in the headlines for weeks." "Possibly, but I'm given to understand that she doesn't quite fit the classical mould. And that she isn't even a Christian, which would lessen the impact enough that I'd rather hold her in reserve for a Phase 2, rather than put her in the initial lineup. If we find a girl to conform to the template more in the meantime, we'll go with her instead. Any others?" "Most are fairly young unfortunately - the metagene appears to be a recent enough development that there are very few active holders above the age of 18. The vast majority of them look good & have potential, but they're too obviously young to add them to the list with this 'Supergirl.'" "At present then, who do we have? I am given to understand that we have an inventory of 32 at present, and I asked for a shortlist of twelve for a team of 6-8."
He was handed a dossier containing twelve sheets of double-sided A4 paper, each with pictures, proposed costumes, power information, a brief biography and short personality analyses of each of the subjects. He read them leisurely, ignoring the men around the table. He'd already discounted the winged girl for now and confirmed the girl with the Superman-type powers. To them he added the boy with the more limited version of the same powers, the electro-girl and magneto boy (having the siblings of a pair of Legionnaires on the team could give a helpful psychological advantage if the teams ever came to blows), the insect (the team needed a mascot, and a teleporter could prove handy - it's political views would be no object once it's voicebox had been removed), the boy who could reverse attacks, the female telepath, and the magic-user. He directed that they should be taken for programming as soon as the meeting was over. Before adjourning, he made one final stipulation:
"And, once the Workforce is public, I want a concerted effort to recruit the Legionnaire who can split into three. By persuasion if possible, given her high profile, by force if you must."
He envied Lorna's ability to be in more than one place at one time. And he would have it.
[ December 23, 2011, 05:19 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by M'onel on :
At Metropolis University university students Randal Burroughs and John Drake-Nagale were putting the finishing touches on their experiment to recieve their degrees in Quantum Physics. Together they built a machine that was supposed to cheaply create antimatter and with the help of their supervisor Professor Vartan where able complete the machine and tonight were able to go test it.
"...and if this machine works there. Energy shortages will be a thing of the past. Is the machine ready?" Randal asked
John was performing the last minute checks, checking the shielding on the antimatter tank, "As ready as it'll ever be. Shall we start now?"
"The sooner we have some results, the better John."
"All righty then," John said flipping the switch that started the conversion that reverses the subatomic charge of the hyrodgen atoms turning them into anti-hydrogen, "All is going well matter/antimatter conversion at 1%... 5%... 10%"
"Yes! It's working, it's actually working."
"Matter/antimatter conversion at 15%"
The machine seemed to work perfectly until conversion was hovering aroun 18%. John saw this on the readouts.
"Randal, we have a problem."
"What is it?"
"We're losing matter/antimatter containment." John reported.
"Do something. Try the back up measures!" Randal told him.
"I am they seem to be failing, I told you we should've ran a simulation first."
Then the screen started to read "DANGER" as the power for containment failed. What what backups they had were going to going to fail in one minute maybe less. Thankfully for experiments as dangerous as this the walls were reinforced with interon.
"Secturity Systems Error..." the computer chirped
"We have to get out of here!" John told his partner getting up from his seat and running for the exits with Randal following him. As soon as they reached the door the blast door slammed down and the two where trapped in the lab.
In approximately 15 seconds the machine lost containment and it exploded seemingly taking the lives of Randal Burroughs and John Drake-Nagale.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
[Interlude] If you go through with it, you DO realise someone's going to kill you for using the post-boot Wildfire origin, right? [/Interlude]
Ella awoke to find herself strapped down tightly to a metal table in the middle of a brightly-lit room, the brightest of these lights shining directly down on her. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was finishing her packing, and going out for one last look around the farm. Her parents had tried to discourage her, but she was firm - twins were meant to stick together, and she had to join up with Garth. And then... she remembered it felt like something had hit her, then darkness. Until now.
She tried to blast her way out of the straps, but couldn't generate any voltage. Worried, she twisted her head and saw two old guys in white coats talking to each other, while looking at a woman who looked a few years older than her and a boy a year or two younger, both of whom were standing like statues. Straining, she tried to hear what they were saying.
"...not meant to be zombies surely." "No, the process is very traumatic to the mind, as you can imagine. It enters a sort of state of shock for a time, while assimilating the new data. One of the big mistakes in the early days was to try it on unconscious subjects - the idea being that it would lessen the trauma. Complete failures, every one - the subject needs to be conscious, or at best it won't stick, but more often than not their minds shut down completely, leaving them effictively brain-dead. No, they need to be kept conscious during the alterations, and they stay in this sort of trance-state while they recover, then their minds absorb the changes and they reemerge as their old selves, barring the intentional changes obviously. It's quite subtle you see..."
The guy who was talking took a step forward, to just out of earshot. This was bad, very bad. She looked around and saw dark-suited guards at every exit, with about four "spare" guards all looking directly at her. There was also a group of eight plastic armchairs, four of which held an unconscious person, and one a giant insect. She couldn't see any way out of this, and from what she'd overheard, this was a brainwashing clinic or something. She needed to find a way out of this, somehow. She knew the chances were near-zero, but still a «Garth, I know you can't hear me, but I hope you're on your way to help your sister» somehow ran through her head.
It wasn't to be though. One of the old doctors turned round and finally noticed she was awake. Ignoring her pleas for mercy, they took a new set of electrodes from a plastic bag, plugged them into a machine behind her head she couldn't see, then smeared electrolyte jelly on her temples before placing the electrodes on top of this surface and taping them in place. One last "no" escaped her lips before the large, overly-dramatic switch was pulled.
She screamed.
-----------
Tikhik awoke to find himself in what looked like a large operating theatre. A red haired girl was lying, strapped to the table, with electrodes attached to the side of her head, screaming in agony. Beyond, he saw a blond woman and a dark haired boy, standing, staring straight ahead, oddly passive. Several others were arranged beside him, unconscious.
So this was it - they'd started lobotomising them into perfect little soldiers. Well, he wasn't going to be part of it - he'd rather die first. Dampening field or no, he had to go - now.
He strained for several minutes - long enough that it would have been noticed that he was awake, but for Ella's protesting screams at the painful violation of her mind. He strained & he strained, but refused to give up hope - otherwise he was lost, doomed to suffer her fate. Then, a small green disk began to glow beneath him. This caused him to finally be noticed, but it was too late. Tikhik wasn't sure he could hold it long enough to make it through, but better death than that he thought, and twisted his short black body into the glowing gate, the tip of his tail barely making it through before it spluttered out. The guards looked at each other, oblivious to the diminishing sobs of the girl on the table. They were in big trouble.
----------
Ella Raines wasn't thinking of very much at all now. As she was led to join Laurel and Paul, the unconscious Jose was laid where she had been, about to recieve the same soul-shredding treatment as soon as he was stimulated into wakefulness.
Posted by Varalent on :
Qwyzlyt was bored. The little imp was tired of everything the fifth dimension had to offer. He was also more than a little upset that he was so much smaller than all the rest of the kids his age there, measuring in at 2 inches in height! Not that any of them were much taller. Kids his age (roughly 16 in human terms) were normally only about three to four inches tall. When, oh when was his growth spurt going to finally kick in?
Because he was so small, all the guys made fun of him and said he would never amount to anything cool! Well he would show them! But how?
************
At dinner that night his parents were talking about mom's wayward brother, Mxyzptkl. Uncle Mxyz was always in the news because of his adventures in the human dimension. Of course, he was able to do that because he could use magic!
God, how Qwyzlyt wished he had been born with Uncle Mxyz's magic talent, but no! All he had gotten was his dad's talent...to a lesser degree of course...to be able to "jump" into other objects and animate or "drive" them as he liked to call it.
It was fun, no question, but compared to some of the magical skills some of his friends had developed he was starting to fear that he WOULD never amount to anything cool!
The only thing he was really good at was building things that worked. But what good was that when you could walk into just about any Magician's store and have him create whatever you wanted on the spot!
***************
"That's it!" he thought so loud that he woke himself up at 3:00 in the morning. He knew exactly what he was going to do! "What fun!" he thought as he snuggled back into his bed to dream sweet dreams about the adventures he was going to have. Let them make fun of him then!
****************
The little metal ship popped out of the dimesional vortex right above the city of Metropolis. It look something like a minature, comic book version of the Beatle's "Yellow Submarine" only it was a bright, shiny silver color. On it's side was written in tiny bright red letters "QUISLET" (which, of course, stood for "Quintuple Universal Interfacing Sentinent Long-Range Environmental Transporter")
Qwyzlyt had arrived!
What fun!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jazmin was not happy. "But I want to join the Legion!" She had said for the eighth time. And for the eighth time, that big jerk had rebuffed her.
"Calm down, girlie, and listen carefully. This is the Legion of Super Heroes. "Super" means that you have to have SUPER powers. The ability to slow someone down is NOT super enough for the Legion! Heck, bouncing boob and the triple girl over there are barely powerful enough as it is, but Mr. Brande won't let me thin the ranks. Still, at least I can prevent any other weaklings fro joining up."
"And I've told you, my power is way stronger than my brother's was! I can do things he never could do!"
"Yeah, right. Look, why don't you go on home and work on your powers first? Then when you can accomplish something better, you can-"
Leviathan stopped. Had he heard something cracking? Could it be the floor they were standing on? "What was tha- aaah!"
Gene yelled as the floor beneath him collapsed and he fell through into the storage area below. It was a pretty long fall, and he quickly grew- enough to minimize the chances of a serious injury but not enough to wreck the place. Suddenly, though, he felt his descent slow down. And then he saw an angry Jazmin hover in front of him, her hands glowing.
"Not strong enough, huh? How do you like this?"
Gene watched as the glow disappeared from her hands, and his fall speeded up once more. Then, at the last possible second, the glow reappeared and he slowed down yet again, falling gently to the ground like a feather. He scrambled up and turned to face her.
"So... I guess that was your doing?"
"Yeah, big man. As you can see, I can slow time down, like how I stopped your fall, speed it up, like how I aged the floor to make it collapse, and almost stop it entirely. Now what were you saying about my not being strong enough?"
"All right, all right... Repair that hole you made and I'll let you join."
He watched as Jazmin's expression quickly turned into one of worry. "Um... Can't we just get Zoe to do it?"
Gene sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. I owe you for not believing you. You're certainly stronger than your brother was. And I know you want to join in his honor... Jazmin Cullen, welcome to the Legion."
Posted by Juan on :
The storm was raging outside of Tatiana Mallor's house in northern England. Three women and one red-haired man were drinking tea in the living room, while a second man lied heavily injured upstairs. Outside, braving the storm, a humanoid being made out of rock stood looking towards the ocean, watching.
Monius Ellysius had been impressed by the 'golden boy', he certainly could put up a fight. But the sheer power of the two women fighting beside him had stunned him, he would have never thought that there could be women warriors this strong. The witch in white was particularly impressive, she was surely one of the most powerful sorcerers the world had ever seen. And the other woman, the princess, had actually managed to confuse the Eye! He hadn't thought that that was possible.
He himself had done very poorly. The Eye's awakening had forced him to leave the Zone of Phantoms in Iran, but he had not been cured, and although the long years of dormancy had allowed him to function for a little while, the effects of the lead poisoning had soon reappeared. He had been easily defeated by the Eye, and soon laid heavily injured on the floor, merely a spectator to the events unfolding.
The rocky entity had fallen soon after their arrival, it had been fighting on its own for quite some time. And so the princess, the white witch and the golden boy had had to deal with the Eye on their own. That they had managed to fight it to a draw was a statement to their power. After hours of incessant fighting (Monius Ellysius had lost consciousness by then), the Emerald Empress just stopped, saying that she had better things to do, and simply left. The other three, unable to stop her, could only stare in disbelief, amazed that they had actually managed to survive.
Events unfolded quickly afterwards. Proiectra buried her father and turned her back on her throne. Moldavians were ready for a republican government, she said, and since the only purpose of the Moldavian monarchy had been to contain the Romanescu clan, now that that mission had failed there was no purpose for the monarchy itself. Maizah tried to help Monius Ellysius, but not understanding what ailed him, she was not able to do much more than stabilize his condition. She had an even tougher time with the rocky entity, she understood nothing of his physiology (was it magical in origin? she didn't think so, it certainly seemed to have a consciousness of its own...). But the 'Blok', as they were now calling it, seemed to get better on its own. It still talked very little, though.
The 'golden boy' had decided to follow them; life as a model was boring, and he was ready for new experiences. Having witnessed his power, and aware that the fight against the Eye had just begun, Proiectra and Maizah were not adverse to letting him join them.
And then they left for England. The choice was obvious, Tatiana Mallor was the fourth member of Irma Ardeen's circle of telepathic friends, and bot Maizah and Proiectra had known her for years. Maizah had been concerned about having to transport Blok, but he said that he didn't need to fly, and then simply merged with the ground and reappeared in England.
Posted by minesurfer on :
He had done stupid things before. “Tagging” walls and assault and battery had landed him in juvy three times before his 13th birthday. He didn’t know why he did those things, and they certainly weren’t venting his rage like the “juvy” therapist had suggested. “Rage venting…” he chuckled to himself as he lay in the hospital bed. T-Rock knew better than to trust the words of a prison therapist, and a white one at that. Besides he felt just as angry after he did those things as he did before they happened. For it to have been “rage venting” the rage would have had to have left his body, he thought.
He picked up the remote and pointed it at the TV… (click) the set lit up the dark room. He immediately searched for the volume as the TV whined it’s “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” sound. “Damn sign-off screen”, he thought to himself. His eyes adjusted to the bright, static colors that illuminated the tv screen as well as his room. A quick glance at the hands of the clock showed that it was about a quarter ‘til four. (click) “…and that’s not all you get.” (click) He quickly changed the channel. After ten straight channels of informercials he could feel his anger starting to work on him.
(Click) He shut the TV off. Realizing that his legs were feeling very stiff, he sat up in his bed. “How long have I been here? I don’t remember being in the hospital.” He thought to himself. He could see light shining through the crack the door made with the floor. Just beyond he could see shadows rustling. “Nurse?” T-Rock shouted. His lips formed the word and his mind said it, but his ears heard nothing. He tried again, only louder and more determined. “Nurse!” Again his ears did not register the sound. Now he was not only angry, but this was down right confusing. He had heard the TV’s sound?
Rotating his body 90 degrees, he let his legs hang over the side of his bed. The floor was cold and smooth. T-Rock stood up and immediately wished that he hadn’t. The room started spinning without mercy. He hit the floor face first.
[ December 08, 2011, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Quislet, Esq on :
Maria Gambi put the last stitch in the pink and white costume. It had taken a bit of time, but all the costumes Brande Industries had ordered were now complete. Most had been easily made using a spandex blend. Others were simple cotton. But this last one was a special order. It seemed the young lady was allergic to almost all types of fabrics.
Maria folded the costume and put it in the shipping box. With a twinkle in her eye, she grabbed the marker and addressed the box "To: Irma Ardeen, the Satin Girl"
Posted by Varalent on :
Gene Allen had just left RJ Brande’s office and he wasn’t in the best of moods. He had always heard what a tough man Brande was but he had only seen him as a cheery optimist…until now. And yet it was Brande’s cheery optimism that had caused him to experience the most effective, first class dressing down in his entire military career. There wasn’t a DI out there that could do it better than RJ without raising his voice, of that he was now convinced!
Well, if codenames is what RJ wanted for this wet behind the ears kids brigade, then codenames he would get! Gene still felt that name & rank should be sufficient in any paramilitary organization, but this was certainly like no military command he had ever served in. How had he ever let Zendack talk him into accepting this posting?
Settling down in his assigned office, Gene started listing each of the current members of the Legion. Then he tried to figure out some cute name for each of them. 45 minutes later he still had a column full of names with not one single codename listed after it…well there was one…Leviathan (his own!) Wasn’t that poetic justice!
Wandering out of the office in search of something to drink he spotted Lorna and Rex laughing about something across the open waiting area. His initial reaction was to call them to attention but he stopped himself. “Guess I have some attitude adjusting to do myself.” Instead he walked over to them and nodded to say hello.
“Hi Mr. Allen,” Lorna offered while Rex just nodded in response. “Guess I would be a little miffed if I had just had my outfit taken away from me also.”
“I was wondering if I could get the two of you to give me a hand with a little project Mr. Brande gave me. I’m having a hell of a time with it.”
Ten minutes later they were all seated around a conference table adjacent to Lorna’s office. Spread out on the table top were the files on each of the new Legionnaires. “Wow, Lorna, you’ve got most of it done already!” Gene commented as he began looking through them.
“I’ve been with RJ a long time now and I know how he thinks and what he wants. I figured he would be asking for this sooner or later so I’ve been putting it together from the start of his new “project” she explained.
“But, he must have known that you would do this. Why ask me for it?” Gene asked, a puzzled look on his face.
“Because you’re in charge of this group now,” Rex said. “It’s probably a good way for you to get to know everybody since you haven’t had the chance to work with any of us yet.”
“Rex, I believe I owe you a bit of an apology. You obviously are pretty sharp based on that observation and likely more than qualified to lead this group. I don’t think I showed you enough respect when we first met today. I’m sorry for that and I hope we can work together with no hard feelings.”
“That’s fine with me,” Rex replied. “I don’t begrudge you the position of leader. I know it wasn’t your decision any more than it was mine. And it does make sense. If we’re going to be an arm of the UN, we need to have a leader they can accept. Anyway, that’s over with, what do you say we get this job taken care of?”
Working together, the three of them began discussing the team members and their powers. Little by little the list started to come together until they finally had the formal list of codenames drawn up and ready to be posted. Some of the discussion had been light hearted and funny. Some of it serious. Each offered something and in the end they were all satisfied with the result, or as satisfied as a group can be with the results of a joint effort.
“You realize that Tela just won’t last as a codename for Irma, don’t you?” Lorna giggled. “As soon as the uniforms arrived and everyone saw what was written on her box, they all started calling her that!”
“Yeah, I know,” Gene grinned back at her. “But I can’t very well hand Mr. Brande a list of codenames that shows her as 'Satin Girl!' I'm sure the same thing will happen with some of the others…”
“Yep, some of the guys are already calling Quentin “Egghead,” or “Brainey,” Rex laughed. “But I guess “Doc” sounds a little better.
“Do me a favor Lorna, read through the list one more time. I want to be sure we didn’t miss anyone before we wrap this up,” Leviathan asked.
“Sure, Gene,” Lorna said. “Here goes… ~~~~~ Name ~ Codename Rex Kline ~ Cosmic Boy Garth Raines ~ Live Wire Irma Ardeen ~ Tela (soon to be Satin Girl ~giggle!) Lorna Durgo ~ Trinity Tamara “Tina” Wazzo ~ Spirit Quentin Docks ~ Doc Reed Daggly ~ Shifter Sally Digby ~ Shrinking Violet Lyle Norga ~ Invisible Kid Zoe Sanders ~ Kinetix Jenni Ognats ~ Flash Charles “Chuck” Tan ~ Rebound Conan Doyle “Condo” Arlington ~ Catalyst Nura bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal ~ Dreamer Brock Bannon ~ Blizzard Val Armor ~ Valor (Val-iant Arm-or) Jan Arrah ~ Element Lad Gene Allen ~ Leviathan Jazmin Cullen ~ Kid Quantum
“Okay, I think that does it,” Gene said.
HEY, YOU FORGOT ONE!
“Who said that?” Gene asked, looking around, first at Rex and Lorna, and then around the room to see if someone else had come in.
ME!!!! YOU FORGOT ME!!!! I WANT TO BE A LEGIONNAIRE TOO!!!
By now the three young people could see the little silver ship hovering up near the ceiling of the conference room. There was some sort of shimmering field barely visible behind it. Suddenly, a bright ray of light flashed down to the pen laying on the table and engulfed it in brilliant white light. As the light faded the pen stood up, walked to the paper and, in large flowing script, added something to the bottom of the list.
“Look! It wrote what looks like Q-W-Y-Z-L-Y-T’ under name and ‘Quislet’ under codename,” Rex gasped.
Gene buried his head in his arms on the table and sob “Oh god! Why me? This is just too much!” as Rex and Lorna laughed and Quislet (in the pen) did a passable imitation of a jig on the paper, adding a huge florish to the bottom of the paper.
WHAT FUN!!! the newest Legionnaire laughed.
[ March 23, 2004, 03:48 PM: Message edited by: Varalent ]
Posted by Juan on :
"Excuse me, are you very busy right now?" Nura Al-Nayal was standing on the doorway. "I need to talk to you."
Gene and Rex stood up, staring at the platinum blonde at the doorway.
"Wow, you look stunning!" Lorna Durgo was smiling. "Did you choose this uniform yourself?" Nura certainly did not fit her stereotype of an Arab woman.
"Yes. I'm sorry, but can I talk to you all? It's quite urgent."
"Certainly!" Rex and Gene motioned to one of the chairs.
"I've just received a phone call from my sister. She says that she just survived a fight with the Emerald Eye of Akron. She's on her way to New York, together with four allies, one of which seems to be heavily injured. Do we have medical facilities to handle an invulnerable man from the past?"
"Oh, and by the way, you might just as well add all their names to that list you're doing. They all WILL join the Legion, you know."
[ March 25, 2004, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Juan ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Tatiana watched as the mysterious man from the past lay in his bed, growing sicker by the minute. He could barely speak anymore, and although his body looked chisseled and impressive, he was too weak to use the limbs he once labored so hard to strengthen. "Monius...Elysius..." he had whispered to her earlier, and she understood that it was his name. She and Maziah had taken to calling him "Mon-El" for short, since neither was sure if they were pronouncing it right.
Outside, Maziah talked to Projectra, as they tried to figure out what was going on. Jackie was terribly upset about the death of her father, but wasn't letting it show--she was being strong for the rest of them, while Maziah was trying to comfort her. The two women had their own reasons for being upset, but both showed a sublte and powerful inner-strength by focusing on the problems at hand. The Emerald Empress, as she now called herself, would have to be dealt with, although they had enough trouble of their own now.
They wondered about 'Blok', who stood outside with the model who possibly controlled the power of the sun itself, and what this creature was and was doing here. It had helped them though, and like the warrior who lay dying, deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Tatiana watched the young man and found herself strangely attracted to him. "Mon-El...it will be alright, we are trying to reach help..." she whispered, as she looked at his garb and wondered if it was truly Roman as they had guessed earlier. She was unsure what anything truly was right now...
Posted by Juan on :
"You do know who he is, don't you?"
Tatiana Mallor, sitting on her house's porch, was startled by the deep, creaky voice. Jacquie and Dirk were upstairs, sleeping, and Maizah was taking care of the injured man. His condition was deteriorating rapidly, they wouldn't be able to move him to New York, after all.
"You talk?" The rocky creature was standing beside her.
"Yes. I have been listening to the words of humans for a long time."
"You mean Mon-El? You know who he is?"
"Yes. I thought you did, too. You are the heir of the shadow wielders, aren't you?"
Tatiana Mallor looked at him, now completely perplexed. How did he know?
"Maybe you should call the Princess, this concerns her, too."
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"You LOST the insect?!"
McCauley was beyond apoplectic. His face had turned a very unhealthy-looking shade of reddish-purple behind his large, thin-rimmed glasses, and the seven heavily-built guards cowered slightly at the rage of a man any of them could have killed on the spot. If he didn't drop dead of a heart attack first.
"NEED I remind you that this project is TOP SECRET? And that any revelation of the means of recruitment and control could FINISH ME?"
One of the braver guards spoke up, trying to say it wasn't their fault, that someone had underestimated the anaestetic needed for a body like Miraz's, but McCauley was having none of it. Glancing at some of the other guards around the room, he directed they take the disgraced guards to the experimentation chambers. IF they survived, they might prove useful again. Ignoring for a moment the heavy blow this would be if the insect talked - and was believed. He tried to calm himself for a second.
-------------
Earlier, Tikhik had tumbled roughly out of a portal, still within sight of the McCauley complex. Spent at the effort it had taken to override the dampening field, he had barely enough energy to crawl under a large rock and collapse.
Now, he was waking up, somewhat refreshed. Thinking things over, he realised that his first priority still had to be escape. He was too close to be assured that McCauley's thugs couldn't just grab him, he had to get as far away as possible. First though, he had to make sure of something. He tried to open a portal to within the large rock above him - and saw the exit portal appear just outside. He tried again and the same thing happened. Good, so he couldn't end up inside something solid. He opened another portal, to go as far as he could, and stepped into it.
Now, Gates had no real idea of how far he could teleport. It was fortunate for him therefore that he couldn't teleport outside of the gravity well he was in, as he would have ended up well into outer space had the teleport been purely line-of-sight. As it was, he teleported as far as he possibly could on the Earth and ended up homing in on something heavier than it should have been, given the mass it had...
--------------
Tom Kallor, bored again, kicked around the Sydney suburb he felt chained to. Because of something stupid that happened when he was a baby, he felt like he'd been wrapped in cotton wool his whole life - he broke curfew by 60 seconds, his parents were practically on the verge of calling the police. Doing anything actually exciting was out of the question.
And he was perfectly healthy - better than healthy. No-one could do the stuff he did, as he made himself heavier to shake the ground for the sake of it, scaring the birds in the process.
Just then, a little green hole opened in mid-air in front of him, and a giant black insect fell out. It just managed to mutter "Help, Помощь..." before collapsing into unconsciousness.
"What the hell...?"
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
The flames licked higher and higher. Whatever the firefighters did, the inferno only seemed to get worse. The orphanage was long lost.
In the conflagration's midst a few cries for help could still be heard. When the young girl thought she saw a fireman coming towards her, she managed to yell and wave. He came over, though the flames, and pointed the fire extinguisher in her general direction. She thought she was saved. The jet of flame which came from the "extinguisher" ended her hopes a few seconds before her lives.
Ten minutes later, only one survivor remained. As the naked blond girl - her clothes burned away - crouched in the inferno's heart, the flames licked at her skin without effect, as if it recognised it's mistress. She sobbed, cursing her lack of control over her fire, but the tears themselves were of fire rather than water. She didn't even notice the jet of flame from the "fireman" as it washed over her. Realising who it was, he radioed in.
"Sir, I've found the fire girl. She's naked and traumatised, but not physically damaged." "Not unexpected. Tranq her and bring her back in."
He injected the tranquiliser into her skin, to almost no discernable effect on the already catatonic girl, then tossed the syringe away, watching as it quickly melted in the heat, then hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her to the statis pod in the nearby van, ready for transport straight back to the McCauley complex.
-------------
"Sir, we have news on the orphanage." "Orphanage" "Remember - the one you sent the fire girl to." "Oh yes - did she do as expected?" "Eliminated the whole building sir, and our 'firemen' picked off the few survivors. And picked her up again, ready for transport." "Excellent,..." He smiled - a thin unpleasant grin - sometimes even subjects with little control had their uses "...and there is no-one left to associate the 'Supergirl' with her previous identity now?" "We turned up one relative in the scan while the girl was having her memory altered yesterday - an 'Eltron Gander' - and we have a drive-by team on standby, awaiting your command." "See to it." «Excellent,» he thought. By the time the Workforce was announced, there would be no-one left to associate the 19-year old Laurel Gand, as her documents now read, with her former (16-year old) Gander ID. Which meant that she would be able to be freely used in the planned publicity, without the restrictions a minor would have. "And is there any news on whether the Workforce have accepted the mind-grafts?! "I'm told they are beginning to come out of their trances now sir, but they'll need a good night's sleep before we can tell whether the alterations are going to stick or not." "And the codename and symbol focus groups?" "Due to finish up later today for a report tommorrow." "Very well, keep me posted."
As his underling left the room, McCauley sat back in his chair and took his glasses off to clean them. Almost everything was going to plan. Damn that insect. And damn those guards for letting that insect escape. As things stood, that was the only cloud on the horizon, but it was a large and angry thundercloud. It had to be found. Fast.
Posted by Varalent on :
He was so furious he could feel the veins on his head and at his temples pounding. His employees took one look at him and went scurrying out of the way, hoping to avoid his attention and its attendant ire. With most it worked.
"YOU! In my office now!"
"Get Sanders here right away! I don't care if he's dead I want him in my office in less than a minute!"
"Get Arlington on the phone!"
~~~~~~~~
The flurry of activity lasted well into the night. By ten o'clock, everyone was gone but everything he wanted done had been handled. Those who still had jobs (for the moment) went home breathing a huge sigh of relief, but one flavored with trepidation and uncertainty.
He sat in his penthouse apartment overlooking Metropolis through the wall to wall security glass windows, reams of paper and facsimile pages scattered on his desk and the surronding floor. Minutes passed and then hours as he contemplated his next move. Finally, around two in the morning, the first faint hint of a smile appeared on his lips.
"Yes, that's it," he thought to himself. "They didn't realize who they were going up against. Chu, Brande, McCauley, all of them will soon find out what happens when they decide to take on Lex Luthor!"
[ March 26, 2004, 02:20 PM: Message edited by: Varalent ]
Posted by LoneWolfLondo on :
Circling his opponent, Hasim finally locked on the other man's fighting style. His "Nemesis" power kicked in, and he felt himself grow that much stronger, that much faster, that much better at anticipating moves. The other man was bigger, but that was no longer an asset. Easily ducking a punch that would have connected moments ago, he moved in and hit the man square in the stomach. Doubled over, the man grunted in suprise; the kid hadn't seemed so tough before. A sharp blow to the nose brought the man's hands up again. Another hit to the stomach finished him.
The crowd roared their approval.
Maybe it was only a street fight in a back alley of Rome, but every fight gave Hasim more experience at using his nemesis power. He had fought his way across eastern Europe without losing a match. The crowd quickly dispersed as they always did, but the arranger stayed to pay Hasim his cut of the bets. He didn't need the money; father's insurance settlement had paid off well. And if he closed his eyes, he could still see the look on father's face as he... But never mind, back to the task at hand. Each fight helped him master his talents, and brought him that much closer to his goal. They were a Legion, he an army of one. He would perfect the powers granted him by Tisiphone and Nemesis, prove to the Legion what a valuable asset he could be, and join them. United, he had no power against them, but one by one, eliminated from within...Hasim just smiled his dark, cruel smile and savored the thought.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"Ohhh... did anyone get the number of that lightning beast..."
Ella could only remember one other time she'd had a headache like this - when she came out of the fortnight-long coma the accident that turned out to have given her her powers had caused ("they'll recharge the batteries for us" - what the frell had she been thinking?). And that hadn't been so nice for other reasons - waking to find Mark had never been in a coma, had dropped her and Garth off at a hospital, then skiddadled off to who-knew-where, and Garth had been up & about for a couple of days - and on the verge of leaving too, to go after Mark. While she'd been stuck, she recalled bitterly.
She thought hard for something that may have caused this headache - her recent memories seemed blurry, and the last thing she could clearly remember was preparing to leave home, to follow Garth. But that felt like days ago, and time hadn't seemed to pass last time she was in a coma.
She opened her eyes - she was in bed, dressed in plain white cotton pyjamas that certainly weren't hers. She always wore an oversized T-shirt to bed. The room itself was nondescript - light poured in through the open window, edged with frilly white curtains, onto the cream-painted walls. Other than the bed, there was a plain wooden chest of drawers, with a vase of flowers on top of it, a chair, and a glass-topped bedside table. A digital clock, with red glowing numbers that read 06:46, and portable TV sat on top of this last item.
She didn't remember seeing this room before either, which didn't exactly help her feeling of unease.
Just then, the door opened, and a nurse, dark-haired in her early 30s, looked in. "Ah good - you're awake." She took out a small black object from her shirt pocket, pressed a button on it, said "Doctor, Ms. Raines is awake," into it and waited for the reply of "Acknowledged," which came in a male voice.
She backed into the room, pulling a trolley behind her. Coming over to the beside, she began to measure Ella's blood pressure.
"Excuse me - but why am I here? What is this place? What's going on?"
The nurse looked scandalised - "Don't you remember? These are your quarters. You joined the Workforce, remember? Dear me, that accident must have affected you worse than I thought." "Huh? Accident?" The nurse stopped taking her blood pressure and stood up. "Maybe you should get a more thorough examination from the Doctor. You might have a concussion." "Really, I feel fine. What IS going on? WHAT accident?" Her eyes began to glow electric blue, leading the nurse to take a step back and reach for her pocket radio. Ella pointed one sparking finger at her - "Don't, not until you've answered my question. What IS going on?" The nurse began to question her career choices, swallowed hard, and said, "I don't have all the details, all I know is there was a training accident and a few of the hospital wing staff were sent to the Workforce's quarters. That's all I know - honest!" Ella powered down. The nurse sounded like she was telling the truth, and she supposed her splitting headache could have been caused by a training accident. The fact that she was supposed to have signed up for some "workforce" when she couldn't remember doing it didn't exactly help her confidence though. She looked at the nurse, who looked torn between finishing what she was meant to do, and ripping the door open and bolting for the hills. She held out her arm, which still bore the inflatable armband from the pressure-tester. "Go ahead," she sighed.
The nurse finished taking her blood pressure, temperature and a few other things as fast as was humanly possible, then hurried out the door, the instruments on her trolley jangling unhappily in the rush, leaving her alone again. For a few minutes, until the door opened again and a black doctor walked into the room. Ella thought for a moment of trying the intimidation routine again, but, oddly, she couldn't generate any current. The doctor noticed the look of puzclement on her face - "Inhibitor field," he smiled. "Nurse Choi mentioned your little routine, and I felt it best to take precautions. So what's wrong with you then - feeling disoriented? Dizzy? Headaches? Last few days not quite registering?" Ella nodded. "Not to worry - sounds like you may have a mild concussion." He sat on the edge of the bed, and took out a small optician's torch. "Which is to be expected, after the knock you all apparently took," he shined the little light into her right eye. "Yes, a bit of a delay there..." he did the same with her other eye "...and there. Nothing serious, and that a couple of days of bedrest shouldn't solve. What day is this - Wednesday? The team's not due to launch until Monday, so everything should be fine. Be sure to come to the hospital wing if you're not feeling better by Friday, 'kay?" He stood up, put the torch in the breast pocket of his labcoat and prepared to leave.
"Ummm... doctor?" He turned around as he was walking out the door - "Yes." Something made her change her mind, "Nothing." He walked out and closed the door behind him.
She got unsteadily to her feet and walked over to the window. The desert sand that stretched into the distance whipped at her senses, and she looked down and to her sides, where a three-storey drop led down to what looked like the edge of some sort of complex of buildings, with a 10ft tall perimeter fence, topped with spikes and barbed wire, about five metres forward from her window.
Walking round, she looked in the chest of drawers, with four drawers labelled "Underwear, civilian tops, civilian pants/skirts, Uniforms" in vertical turn. The last was empty. The other three contained a mix of her own stuff, that she remembered packing, and brand new stuff she didn't recognise. She swapped the brand-new clothes she was wearing for familiar underwear and one of her favourite nightshirts, trying to see if it made her feel more comfortable, before collapsing back on the bed.
It was starting to come back to her now - she hadn't had the cash to follow Garth directly, and who knew if the Legion would accept her? - so when the Workforce men had come round offering her a place, she'd jumped at the chance. But even then, something didn't feel right about it, however right it seemed. And she couldn't think why...
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"The results from the focus groups are in, sir." Crugg handed him a folder, containing seven sections, each with a detailed breakdown of the results of the codename groups. While he would never permit a decision on such a matter to be made without giving him results from similar excercises, he only occasionally actually read them. If he disagreed with the results, the breakdown didn't matter - another study would simply be commissioned to give the desired results. He sat the folder on his desk in front of him."
"Talk me through the preferred results then."
"The codename that came out best for the blond girl was 'Andromeda' - most people seemed to associate the name with stars, which is a helpful connotation to have. A few thought of the TV show, and, helpfully, very few knew of the mythological Andromeda."
"Ah yes, the chained princess..." McCauley smiled at the mild irony of the favoured name. "Any other names that did notably well?"
"Ultragirl also tested well, following on from your thoughts on the unavailable 'Supergirl' trademark, but the only name that tested consistantely well for the boy with similar powers was "Ultraboy," and it was felt that having both an "Ultragirl," and an "Ultraboy," was a bad idea for three reasons - it diminishes the possibility of trademarking, there was considered to be a risk of confusion amongst the general public, and you wanted this Laurel to be the "star" of the group (which testing has actually borne out as a wise move),"
"You sound surprised, Crugg."
"*ahem*... yes sir. Emmm.. continuing what I was saying - even these days, the automatic assumption of much of the public if you have such equivalent male and female names is to automatically assume that the male is in the lead. Which, again, works contrary to the planned strategy, which has the girl as the most prominent member of the group."
"Fine - so "Andromeda" and "Ultraboy" it is. Now what of the others?"
"Well, pictures of the redheaded girl was associated in tests with words like 'bright' and "spunky," so taking that stuff on board, together with the girl's electrical powers, we tried "Spark" among others, which tested far better for the girl than 'Lightning' and 'Thunder'. More in keeping with her apparent character."
She paused, waiting for a reaction from McCauley. When one wasn't forthcoming, she continued. "The mystic's spells are always accompanied by a dragon holographic display, so we thought to combine "Dragon" with some word meaning "magic user". We tried "Dragonwarlock," "Dragonwizard," "Dragonmagus," "Dragonmage" and a few others. It was considered by the panel that the four-syllable names were too clunky, so in the end, they settled on "Dragonmage."
Again no response. Crugg was beginning to get nervous. "Ummm.. for the telepath, we ran through many, many names, as there was considerable indecision on what may be a good name for her. "Esper" was discounted as she does more than mind-reading, and ESP is considered to be an outdated term anyway. "Tela" is the official codename of the Legion's telepath, although for some odd reason she's become more commonly known as 'Satin Girl'. She has no obvious markings or power signatures to use as a guide for a codename. Eventually, given her aggressive personality profile, we came up with "Enrapture," which tested well enough for use."
Again, silence. Her voice began to noticeably speed up. "For the magnetic kid, Polarity tested best, and for the boy who can make attacks rebound, a Legionnaire was already using Rebound, but "Reflecto," was a strong second. Anythingelsesir?"
He leaned forward, elbows on his desk, with the tip of each finger meeting it's counterpart on the other hand, speaking slowly and deliberately. "Andromeda, Spark, Enrapture, Polarity, Reflecto, Ultraboy and Dragonmage, correct?"
"Yessir." Crugg had annoyed him, it was blatant. She felt rooted to the spot, wanting nothing more than to run out screaming, but felt unable to move.
McCauley shut his eyes, deliberately prolonging her agony. He had already decided to accept the names, but while she was a capable enough P.A. that he didn't want to terminate her, he couldn't allow her to feel safe after that slip.
"Yes," he finally spoke after a delay of several minutes. "Those will do. And the symbols?"
She handed him another folder, also containing seven sections. Rather than asking her to talk her through them this time, he flicked to the summary pages, containing seven symbols, white on black to go with the dark blue with thick black neck to ankle vertical stripe uniforms the workforce would be wearing. He flicked through them slowly, occasionally making minor alterations to the symbols with a black or white ink pen. When he reached Ultraboy's unusual symbol, he stopped and read the sidebar. Apparently it had been something the youth himself had daubed on his surfboard and clothing after gaining his power, and had been included in the survey after no prior use anywhere could be found. It had no obvious meaning, however. He thought long and hard over allowing the use of such a symbol, but finally decided that, as long as McCauley Industries could trademark it, there was nothing particularly wrong with allowing it's use. And no-one of any ethnic origin on the panels had raised an actual objection, which was unprecedented... He waved it through, and handed the folder back to Crugg.
"Have the uniforms fabricated immediately, allowing for my alterations to the symbols." "Yes sir." She lingered a moment too long. "What are you waiting for? I'm not paying you to lounge around. MOVE!"
She almost ran from the room, but retained enough self-control to think better of it. ____________________________
The symbols BTW [codenames in brackets are the codenames from the comics, which won't be used here]:
Andromeda:
Dragonmage:
Enrapture [Esper Lass]:
Polarity [Magnetic Kid]:
Reflecto:
Spark:
Ultraboy: Posted by M'onel on :
Professor Vartan having witnessed the blast, found that the explosion transformed Randal Burroughs and John Drake-Hagale into a singular (and disembodied) energy being. Managing to create a somewhat crude containment suit for "Drake Burroughs".
Several weeks later Drake landed on the roof with Professor Vartan making some notes.
"It looks like the suit's thruster system works perfectly now."
"That's great," Drake replied, "Then we can work on getting me a body."
Vartan's face changed to a somber one, "We've been over this time and again Drake, with cutbacks at the university that'll be impossible. (Not that it wasn't already.) We'll have you turn somewhere else."
"You're the professor. You tell me where to go."
Vartan though for a moment, "You know RJ Brande's project? The Legion of Super-Heroes isn't it?"
Drake nodded, "Yeah."
"I'll make a call to Mr. Brande and see if he's interested in bringing you into the Legion. Besides if anyone can help you, it'll be the legion."
Posted by Varalent on :
Eh? Pero, que paso? Donde estoy?...
When the young man came to, he was completely bewildered. He had no recollection of where he was or how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was that terrible explosion and the searing pain...excruciating pain! Surely he had died!
Dios mio!
No, he hadn't died, although he should have! He still remembered the feel of his skin bursting into flames as he was engulfed in a ball of fire from the explosion. It was horrible!
An yet, the more he thought about it the more he realized that it wasn't so much horrible as it was strange...fascinating, actually. Somehow, during the slow motion horror of the moment, it had felt right, as if a door had opened in his mind and he had finally achieved his destiny.
Lifting his head slightly and looking around, he realized that he was still lying in the jungle's underbrush at the perimeter of the LuthorCorp complex in Columbia. His charred remains had been ignored or overlooked by everyone in the mayhem following the explosion.
As his glance fell on his hand, he was shocked to see a patch of perfectly smooth skin at the base of what should have been his right thumb on his charred hand. As he moved his arm closer to take a look, his hand began flaking. Pieces of...charred cloth? or something began falling away, revealing his own unmarked skin underneath!
Que? Pero...como?
How could this be? He wasn't burned at all! It's as if his military fatigues had protected him from the flames! His gloves, shirt, pants, boots, even his facemask and helmet were burnt to a crisp! But he was fine! He was in pain, but the kind of pain one would expect from being hit by the force of a massive explosion but he was fine!
Gingerly climbing to his feet, Ramiro finished brushing the ashes and cinders off of his body. All that remained on him were his tee shirt and boxerbriefs. For some reason, those articles that fit snuggly against his skin had received the same protection as his body.
He needed to find some clothes and then he would be back to make these people pay! They were responsible for a great deal of suffering and damage in the area.
As his anger at the LuthorCorp facility workers burst forth, he was shocked to see a glowing aura instantly form around his hands. Suddenly the aura seemed to come into focus and......
Fuego!
Flames! He was shooting flames from his hands! The shock of this discovery ontop of everything else was just too much. As Ramiro keeled over in a faint, the flames went out of their own accord. His last conscious thought was that he was now like one of those idealistic cartoon characters he had so admired in the comic books he had read as a child: Superman, Batman, Astro Lad. He was now like them...he was Fire Lad!
No! No "FireLad"...."Fuego!"
[ April 10, 2004, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: Varalent ]
Posted by The Big Bad on :
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 early twenties. "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."
[ December 08, 2011, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"Hey, Polarity!" It was the first training session since the "mass knockout," and the first one since they got their codenames, so it took him a few seconds to realise he was the one being called. "What is it Ella, emm, Spark?"
"Spark when in costume, remember." She smiled from her position of shelter in the irregularly shaped, multi-level training room. "Need a hand from mag-boy to get my target here."
He'd been told that the session was a "mixed" session - a mix of target-hitting and free-for-all. "What do you need?"
"If I go line-of-sight, it fires at me - but to blast it, I need to get line-of-sight. I thought you could redirect my blast for me, since electricity and magnets work together."
"Umm... sure."
"'Kay - it only fires at me, so get where you can see it and get ready." She moved back so that she was as close to seeing it as she could be without actually risking being fired at, and he, glancing repeatedly at where she stood, tried to take up position somewhere close by, at a good angle to pull the redirect.
"Ready?" He nodded in response to Spark's question. "Go!"
She let loose a blast, and a second or two later he activated his mag-field, intending to "push" the bright line in the right direction. Unfortunately, he got his charging the wrong way round and ended up "sucking" the blast in. While he didn't suffer any direct injury from the blast, since his system could process the electricity, it supercharged his field for the second or two it took Spark to power down, and several small metal objects hit him, one on the side of his head, knocking him to his knees.
Spark hesistated, her natural instinct to help him warring with the knowledge that going over to him would just get them fired at while he couldn't dodge. "Paul - you okay?"
Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the ringing in his ears, he called "yeah," then winced as he made his way gingerly to his feet. He looked over to her and tried to smile - "Hard head."
"It's okay - I'll find another way to get this." "No - I'm okay," he said as there was a loud bang at the other end of the training room. "Really? You should probably--" "I'm fine. I know what I did wrong. Let's do this."
They took up position again. She glanced over to him, looking slightly concerned. He looked back, gave a slightly over-wide smile and nodded his head in the direction of the target. This time, the maneouver worked, and he pushed the crackling bolt of lightning onto the target, deactivating the weapons. She jogged over to him.
"Thanks - ow." He'd turned his head, and she saw the other side of it, black hair matted with red blood. "You should get that checked out." "There's only 15 mins left - not worth the Wrath of McCauley..." "Paul!" She spoke before realising she didn't really know why she'd objected. "Sorry - I don't know why I said it like that." "It's okay," in a tone that showed she meant it. "Anyway - the bleeding's stopped, it's scabbed over, and it's not worth missing the last quarter of an hour. You'd better get the rest of your targets." "Thanks - I owe you one." She smiled at him one last time, then moved on to get her next target as he watched her go. But his gaze hung on her a second or two too long, and he winced as Ultraboy used his inattention to slam into his back. Only the training-field that limited the force of the blow saved him from serious injury. As it was, he could still feel the bruise forming. "HEY - watch it!"
"Sorry m'man, but you know we're not s'pposed to hold back."
Muttering silently, Polarity began to pick himself up, when everything started glowing green, and he sank into the floor, which had suddenly become a sticky, molasses-like mass. Looking up, he saw a quick flash of red in the green. He was in one of 'Mage's dragon-shaped spell fields. What was this - "Kick Polarity Day"? He "felt" the steel beneath the goo, and, in repelling it, managed to push himself up and out of the spell-field. Unfortunately, annoyed as he was, he misjudged the force needed and was on course for another painful collision, this time with the wall. Luckily for him, Andromeda took pity on him and caught him before he connected.
"Ummm... thanks." "Just watch yourself, and don't do that again," she said firmly, while aiming a blast of heat vision at Dragonmage, who conjured up a shield to deflect it.
She set him down, but within seconds he was on his ass again. Oddly though, it felt kinda good, and he couldn't quite muster the concentration to repel the attack. Enrapture smiled - actual telepaths aside, next to no-one guarded their pleasure centres. Give those a quick tap, and just about everyone's psi-shields vanished. And the fact that the good feeling made them less likely to defend in future, like a dog trained to do something unnatural for them by giving them treats, didn't hurt. She enjoyed making him quack like a duck for a minute, then got him to blast over her left shoulder, where she felt someone sneaking up. Unfortunately for her, she realised it was Reflecto after she'd had Paul let off the blast, and the attack bounced straight off him, knocking her to her knees and causing her to let Polarity go.
He smirked at the picture.
"Hey girlie, you want to bow down before me, you're facing the wrong way. Not that we couldn't get into something this way round, but..."
Angered at the indignity of her position more than the sexist remark, she mind-blasted him, knocking him on his ass - his powers only protected him from physical attacks. She would have kicked him for the remark, but remembered how his field was always on, whatever his mental state, in time. The "time up" hooter went a second later.
Andromeda helped Ultraboy up from the blow she'd delievered just before the time-up, and Spark went to help Polarity up - who was still recovering from the nightmare end to the session he'd had. Dragonmage spent a few moments in mediation, to recover his mental strength after a full hour of spell casting. And Enrapture headed straight for the exit, leaving Reflecto lying on his back to try and recover from the whammy she'd just hit him with.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
"Right... thank you."
The last of the team had signed. The lawyer was surprised at quite how eager they all were - not one of them would have so much as glanced at the contracts had he not insisted they did - so HIS back was covered at least.
Did they really want to be part of this team so much that they were prepared to sign away five years of their lives to that weasel? It wasn't as if the contracts were especially generous - indeed, in what they demanded and permitted, they were über-restrictive - hell, it was the closest thing to them signing a piece of paper saying "my wish is your command" he'd ever seen.
«Ah well - they signed up of their own free will, let them take the hits,» he thought. ________________
He entered the room.
"It's done?" McCauley's face was almost impassive, but for the faintest glimmer of impatience in his eyes.
"It's done sir, but as I ment..."
"Your concerns are not mine. My copies please?"
The lawyer handed him half the stack of paper he carried, then as McCauley signalled him to go, he left the room, muttering "You bastard" under his breath. _______________
The petty concerns of a dead man walking made no difference to McCauley. Now he had the Workforce legally as well as psychologically bound to him, and the launch event set up and ready for two days time, he only had one real concern in the whole project. Unfortunately, it was a huge, black, gaping hole. The insect...
Search parties and even stolen satellite survellence had failed to find him, but testing suggested that his maximum range would leave him in the USA. To believe he had died in his escape attempt - perhaps by overextending himself - was tempting, but given that he was the only other person outside the complex who knew the about the experiments - and possibly even the Workforce's brainwashing - and was able to betray that knowledge could prove fatal. As he left the room, his temper betraying him, he wondered yet again where the hell it could be. He could only hope it was dead. _______________
Gates wondered for a second if he was dead, before deciding he hurt too much. Looking down in the half-light, he saw his claws and jumped. He still wasn't used to this ridiculous body McCauley's experiments had left him with. The fact that he could still breathe properly suggested he still had lungs & hence wasn't completely insectosoid - an insect his size would suffocate. He wondered how much of the real him was left.... Shutting his eyes, he let his mind wander to think how he ended up in this enclosed space. Had McCauley...? No.
He remembered that girl being tortured, and how he'd just managed to fight their dampeners enough to teleport out of the complex. Then how he'd teleported as far as he possibly could, farther than he'd thought possible, and collapsed at someone's feet. Someone wearing trainers. Then he'd passed out. He had no idea how he'd got from there to here, or where he'd been taken to. Some kind of militaristic complex? It would be typical to go from corporate torture to torture by some corrupt government, perhaps with designs on ruling the world. Well, this teleporter wasn't going to stand for it!
He tried to open a gate out, but only got as far as a pencil-sized opening before the pain he was already in got so intense that he winced and the portal collapsed. What was it? Some method of restraint? Or had he overtaxed himself in the teleport so much that... no.... "нет.... nyet....!! ________________
Tom hoped the insect-guy would shut up until his mum went out in five minutes. He didn't want to have to explain to her why he had a talking insect in his old toybox. ________________
McCauley needed to relax, so he went down to the sub-basement and stood before one specific cell he'd visited before. To know he had him chained and insensiate always reassured him. Although that was about to change....
"Hello again," he said, malice evident in his voice. "Thought I'd better let you know you're getting out tommorrow. And just so you know there's no hard feelings, I'll even give you a job, happy about that?" The sedated man made no response to the feeble taunting.
"And I'm sure you'll love working for me, it's what you've always wanted, isn't it?... Mano."
[ April 22, 2004, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Zoe couldn't contain hern excitement as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Sure, she had missed her prom, but joining the Legion more than made up for that! All the girls back home would be green with envy, and all the boys would be dying to ask her out! She could just imagine it now, when the prom king himself would walk up to her, tapping her on the shoulder, and then, when she turned around, he would stare into her emerald green eyes and say, "Excuse-"
"me, Zoe, but could you help me with my costume?"
"Zoe whirled around to find Sally, her closest new friend, in the doorway, wearing her new costume. "The legs are too short; I was wondering if you could lengthen them?"
"But why? They show off your legs perfectly! I'd love to have an outfit like that! Although," she said, twirling her hair," this one is just perfect!"
"I'd rather not become such a center of attraction... I don't really care about clothes that much."
Zoe giggled. "I have a friend just like you back home! Her name was Sabrina, and she always had neat but kind of old-fashioned clothes. So did I, and the cheerleaders never let us forget it." She stopped giggling as the painful memories came flashing back. But only for a moment, then she brightened up again. "But at least now I can have all the beautiful clothes I want. And I'll make sure they know it."
"You still worry about what they think?" Sally asked, still in that same even, quiet tone of voice. "You're already beautiful, even without pretty clothes."
"But... beauty, intelligence, talent... none of them are really important unless the popular, powerful people like you, Sally." Zoe shook her head for emphasis. "I've learned that the hard way. Why, don't you want to be loved and accepted by everybody?"
"No..." Sally hung her head. "I've learned long ago not to care what others think."
"Yeah... well, I learned long ago that a little cheer can chase all your problems away. Come on, let's go and explore our new little clubhouse. Jenni told me that we have a virtual reality room! And our very own chef! Wana go grab some ice cream?"
"Sure! Think they have strawberry?" Sally said as they stood up, costume alterations all but forgotten.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Mano hated what he'd become.
Three years before, he'd attempted to assasinate Leonard McCauley as part of a campaign against the corporate greedmongers who practically ran society these days, of which McCauley was one of the worst examples - even in that rotten set. Ever since, he'd been paying the price for his failure.
At first, McCauley was content simply to have him tortured. But then another option had opened - his fledgling program to create and control metahumans. He'd begun experimentation, but subjects with activatable metagenes were few & far between. Most of the victims simply died slowly and painfully in agony, and many of those with actual metagenes ended up heavily deformed or even killed by their own "power." McCauley didn't hesitate to throw Mano in.
To his shock and horror however, not only did Mano prove metagene-positive, he became the most sucessful subject to date!
He produced small organelles all over his body, which generated a disruption field which surrounded his body. This field absorbed all light, making him appear to crackle with jet-black energy, but it's primary function was to steal energy directly from the atoms of the air, most of which were merely slowed, but some had electrons ripped from their orbits, converted to pure energy which was absorbed by the field, and molecules were broken into their component atoms by the disruption.
As a side-effect of this process, he no longer needed to eat or breathe - the energy provided by the organelles being sufficient to sustain him. Indeed, as his breathing reflex was intact, normal air was moderately dangerous to him, as the oxygen levels improved the efficiency of the organelles' energy uptake enough that the surplus of energy left him in a state resembling drunkenness.
What had given him his current name though, was that the highest concenrations of organelles were in his hands. For an animal or human to touch most of Mano's body left them weak and dizzy. If his left hand, which had a tenfold concentration of the organelles, touched them briefly, it left them unconcsious for hours, with prolonged contact leading to a coma. But his right hand... his right hand had a hundred-fold concentration of the organells. His right hand was Death, disintegrating all it touched bar Inertron, the strongest, most durable substance known.
On seeing these results, McCauley, in his panic, had him sealed in an intertron-lined suit in an intertron-lined cell, with bars of interton, with hyperoxygenated air pumped into the suit to keep him sedated. Lying barely-conscious but never unconscious, always looking at the same section of silver-coloured wall for almost three years. Three long years. Only his thoughts of vengence on McCauley had kept him anywhere near sane. And now, now he knew he could never act upon them.
He looked around his new, opulent cell. At the thin silver, interton-fortified gloves that had replaced the suit through the oxygen-filtered helmet he now wore. At the endless luxuries scattered about the room. Luxuries he swore he would never use. Which was probably why they were there.
He remembered the pain of the brainwashing, the surprise of the techs that he realised he had been brainwashed... and the commands he could no longer disobey.
In despair, the first time he'd been alone he'd attempted to remove the gloves and destroy himself, leaving nothing of himself to be mocked, only to find that he couldn't remove the gloves. He couldn't even make the attempt. Other attempts at suicide failed the same way, and he'd heard McCauley's laughter. He'd watched Mano's whole performance.
Now, he was supposed to be the leader of McCauley's death-squad. His own, true name forgotten at McCauley's command, forever to be known solely by the Spanish word for hand. McCauley's final little revenge on his new pet.
Mano hated what he'd become.
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Laurel was nervous. The team was due to be announced to the waiting public in less than half an hour.
«Leader?! How did I end up in this mess?»
She remembered leaving the orphanage in an attept to find & join the Legion . After hours of flying around, trying to find the team, she'd talked herself out of it. Obviously they'd never accept someone who just... flew in and said "Hi, can I join your team?" It was hopeless.
Then she'd spotted the McCauley recruitment poster, and when she reached the building it mentioned on it, she'd been admitted to a meeting with Mr McCauley himself! Awed, of course she'd joined up straight away. And apart from that one strange incident where they all K.O.ed each other, she'd not had any real cause to regret her choice. Who'd have thought that Laurel Gand, an orphan with no living relatives and no money could make good so quickly?
Trying to relax, she tried to hard and ended up letting down her guard. She had to concentrate a bit at all ties to keep her super-hearing dampened enough so that she didn't end up listening into every conversation in a 10-mile radius (it wasn't even just "white noise" - for some reason she could even comprehend them all. Well, all of them in English anyway - it'd drive anyone mad). Before she managed to rein it back in, the snippet of speech that really caught her attention came from Spark [who, by the sound of the faster-than-normal heartbeat beside her was talking to Polarity].
"...be fine, just try & copy Laurel (or Andromeda - whatever). I sometimes wonder if anything fazes her. Wish I..."
«Heh,» Laurel thought, «If only she knew...»
It was something that came from her time in the orphanage. Super-powers did nothing to stop someone verbally ripping you to shreads. Heck, some of the worst taunting came from people who caught her practising her powers when she thought no-one was around. They could see her trying to restrain herself, and the knowledge that she'd basically have to ignore them or kill them seemed to embolden them rather than the reverse.
So the little orphan girl learned not to react, or to show when she was scared or nervous, putting on an unshakeable veneer of confidence and certainty, no matter what. ____________
Ella had only been in her hotel room for five seconds, having been told she'd be called from there for the conference, when someone knocked at the door.
"Umm... come in?"
A man walked in, carrying a stack of cardboard boxes in his hands. He set them down, picked out the one with "Spark" written on it, and put it on the coffee table beside her settee.
"Right, here's your uniform for the conference. They've tweaked the design a bit." "Ummm... they don't have big gold buttons on them, do they?" The guy looked at her strangely. "Ummm... No. Why would they" "I just had a nightmare last night about someone dressing us in ugly red & blue suits with big, tacky gold buttons on them. They're not?" He rolled his eyes, thinking she was lucky she wasn't meant to be precognitive - she'd be kicked off the team straight away for a mistake this big - "No. From what I was told, they actually tested mostly red suits, and pretty much no-one liked them in the testing. "Big gold buttons" didn't even make it that far." He left with a shake of his head, closing the door behind him.
She looked at the suit she'd been given, let out a sigh of relief, and began to get dressed... _____________
"And finally, McCauley Industries shocked the stock market today by announcing a team of superpowered operatives to be known as the Workforce. Our New York correspondent, Martin Grey reports."
----
"In a suprise announcement today, Leonard McCauley, majority shareholder and CEO of McCauley Industries revealed the formation of a team of metahuman operatives for the company to be known as the Workforce
McCauley announced that the Workforce "would be used to defend McCauley Industries plants against the increasing threat of metahuman criminal behaviour," as well as any other potential targets who sign up to [their] Workforce Plan, and would attend at future McCauley press conferences as added security. He denied that it was a response to the recent founding of the UN-sanctioned "Legion."
The team, clothed in distinctive blue and black outfits bearing individual symbols as well as "McCauley Workforce" logos, put on a brief display for the waiting crowds before descending to talk to waiting reporters:"
[Andromeda:] "Well, it's great to be given the chance to make the world a more secure place, and we've got every intention of doing that job as best we can."
"The Workforce are due to go on duty before the end of the week. Martin Grey, ITV News, New York."
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Loosely inspired in part by an original post by Valor the M'Onel
In the ape enclosure of Metropolis Zoo, a loud scream rang out and, suddenly - where there had been a great ape moments before - there was a naked boy, cold and shivering. Taking one look at his surroundings, he began to cry - was this his future, to be on display with no human thought, no recollection of who or what he really was? Since Edward Volsar's father George had died nine months earlier, he had lost control of his meteor-granted ability to change into more primitive or advanced primates, and now regressed to ape form whenever he became emotional. Not hard when you were an orphan, living on the streets.
Shaking his head, he choked off his tears - things were bad enough as it was without turning into an ape again. Instead, he slipped out of the bars, and had soon slipped into the zoo office with practiced ease to steal a uniform. An hour later, he was back on the streets. He had to do SOMETHING, or he'd be stuck in ape form permanently soon the way things were going. Then a newspaper sticking out of a nearby bin caught his attention. There, prominently, was a picture of the Workforce press conference.
He quickly grabbed it and devoured the text. A well-paid, well-fed powered group, with the copy stressing how they and other metahumans had been helped with their powers by McCauley Industries? That sounded like the place for him... ________
The next day, he found no problem in slipping past the "security" in the Metropolis HQ of McCauley Industries - being unremarkable (in human form, at least) had its' advantages. As did being a practised lockpicker and thief, granted. As luck would have it, he even found out Leonard McCauley himself was present that day, and decided to take his case straight to the top.
Just how hopeless the security was was proven when McCauley's secretary was the first one to actually challenge him, with an "EXCUSE me, you can't go in there!"
He stopped for a moment and breathed, trying to find his still point - to achieve his "future" mode, he had to be absolutely calm. The receptionist certainly wasn't as his brain swelled, his body shrinking slightly to compensate, backing away slightly with her mouth open in a silent scream.
"You find nothing unusual about me," he said quietly but firmly, making steady eye contact.
"I find nothing unusual about you," she said, instantly settling back down.
He couldn't afford to laugh and maintain his advanced form. He certainly wanted to. "I think you'll find I have an appointment."
"Yes, please go through."
He swung the door open, to find Leonard McCauley sitting alone at his desk. "Hello, Mr. McCauley. My name is Evolvo. I believe you have a place for me on your Workforce?"
"Indeed?"
McCauley had shifted slightly in his seat, but showed no great signs of fear. Had he summoned them? Edward reasoned that he had better move quickly. "Yes," he said, trying to make eye contact as he had with the receptionist - but McCauley's eyes, concealed behind glasses, seemed to elude him. Come on... "I think... you'll find..." He felt worry begin to cloud his senses - was the super-fast "Andromeda" he'd read on her way to clout him? What about the telepath - was she behind one of the doors? "...that..." He began to revert to human form, No, come on, come on, need to be future. Advanced. You need to convince him..., he thought frantically.
It was no good. He wasn't even just going back to human, hair was beginning to sprout from his body, and his clothes were beginning to tear. "Me... Evolvo... you need..." he spluttered out moments before he lost the power of speech.
"Yes, yes..." McCauley said, pressing a button under his desk. For a moment, he'd been amused, but having what was clearly becoming an out-of-control ape in front of him was no laughing matter.
Instantly, targeting systems in the room identified the figure not in their systems and proceeded to launch multiple tranquilliser darts at it. Caught off-guard, it dropped to the floor, unconscious.
McCauley laid down the pistol he had grabbed in his other hand, as security guards belatedly entered the room, carrying a stasis booth and preparing to remove "Evolvo" to the "metahuman bank" of their desert facility, as McCauley left the room, first to bawl out his secretary and security team, then to find a way to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Despite the need to be selective in the subjects they "banked," the début of the public team a mere couple of days before had proved an absolute goldmine. In addition to the companies who had rushed to sign up the team as very public "protectors", meaning that the project had moved into profit in less than a month - over five months ahead of schedule - they now had over sixty subjects immediately available, without the need for further recruitment missions. He was considering moving to Phase 2 earlier than he'd anticipated the need for as a result, although that was at least a month away.
Whatever he did though, he snorted, this "Evolvo" wouldn't get out of his stasis tube for a very, very long time...
[ December 08, 2011, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Sorry about leaving this for so long - between exams and a mental block, I've left this bit half-finished on my HD for ages. Moving along now... __________________________________________________________________
"I still fail to comprehend..." "Brainy..." "DO. NOT. call me 'Brainy!' Or 'Doc.' Or 'Egghead.' If you must burden me with one of those infernally irritating codenames, refer to me as Brainiac Five." Trinity giggled so hard she triplicated at this. It had become almost a motto of Quentin's. "Why?" her purple-eyed body said, "Like remembering back when you were a lab rat? Maybe they should have..." "SISTER!" Her "Orange" body cut her off before she could finish the sentence. The shyest of the three bodies, all three knew what the others were thinking at any given time. And she certainly didn't enjoy what the "Purple" body did sometimes, like now. Brainy's face had gone the colour of holly leaves. "Fine." T-Purple's voice had the edge of a sulk to it. "I'm just saying that if anyone made me a lab rat, I wouldn't be going round celebrating it."
*Ahem* Cos stepped in to end the spat before it got serious. "Look, Brainy...ac Five," catching himself just in time, "I'm sure Lorna didn't mean anything by it."
As if with a great effort, Quentin Docks calmed himself and said, "I would prefer to go around "celebrating" my real name, Quentin Docks. I'm not the one who insists on these... childish pseudonyms."
"Fine then, we'll just call you 'Dox.' Happy?" T-Purple felt the need to make one last crack "More than before."
"I really don't know why you keep following us when we try & see Paul & Ella, you two," Garth cut in, exasperated.
Trinity-Neutal pulled her other selves in quickly before Purple could start another argument. Everyone knew Brainy went so he could try and meet Andromeda. And she went because she wanted to see Brainy try and meet Andromeda. ________________________
It looked like they were going to be fobbed off again at first - although a cursory scan of the news reports showed that it wasn't all about keeping them away. The Workforce made a point of keeping very high-profile in everything they did, even if they'd only been called into action once. Cos wasn't sure if he was relieved or jealous at this moving the spotlight off the Legion...
"Hi bro." Paul's voice made him turn - his team was entering the reception area, coming back from a PR stunt for one company or another. Before he could continue - or Cos himself could respond, however - a loudspeaker message announced the Workforce's return, and a surfeit of confetti fell from the ceiling, as the workers applauded. The irritation some of the team members showed looked more genuine than most of the applause though. Enrapture and Ultraboy, however, visibly lapped it up.
"HERE - COME ON THROUGH TO THE REC ROOM" Paul had to shout to make himself heard over the canned music that was now playing. As they walked along the corridor, and it began to fade, Cos made a comment about his brother's lack of contact recently. His face showing genuine contrition, he answered "Sorry about that that, really. All the calls into and out of this place are taped, and I didn't want anyone listening in on our calls. And I don't get any time off for another fortnight."
"They tape your calls?" "Everyone's calls. Something about not leaking stuff to the media before the official announcements" Cos weighed this for a moment, then recalled the Workforce's media coverage and the show their press confrences got. Clapping his arm around his brother's shoulder, he replied "Ack, it's okay. As long as you start talking," before adding with a smirk, "And don't hold anything back."
Nearer the back of the column though, a less cordial reunion was taking place...
"Hey, Ella, wait up!" Garth called. "Garth." Ella's voice was so cold, it was a surprise her breath didn't form icicles. Garth gulped. He'd more than half-expected this. "Hi Ella - how've you been doing?" he tried, as they entered the rec room. "I've kept busy." "Come on, you're not still sore about..." "'Still sore!?' Now why would I still be 'sore' about anything?" Agitation began to creep into her voice. "Come on, it's not my fault that..." "That WHAT? That weak-little girl me was in a coma for a week longer than you? That you'd already packed your bags to go when I wake up to look for our deadbeat brother? That you LEFT ME BEHIND maybe!?" Her eyes were glowing now, and blue-white sparks started flying from them now. All it really served to do was to get Garth angry too though. "So what? I was just meant to leave Mark to go off and go do who-knows-what?" His eyes were also glowing now, and the whole room had fallen silent, watching them as the sound of their voices and the crackle of the electrical coronas forming about them left other conversation almost impossible. "I didn't make you come along with me on that boat trip to keep an eye on them."
"Is she always like this?" Cos muttered to his brother. "I've seen her get annoyed, but nothing like this," Polarity replied. "Him?" "Same."
"And I wouldn't have come with you if you'd asked?" "I didn't want to put you in any danger!" He knew he'd said the wrong thing the second he'd said it. She was expending so much energy that looking at her hurt the observers eyes. "DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN'T HANDLE MYSELF?!?!"
The Kline brothers decided to step in at this point before anyone got hurt or anything smashed up.
"Ummm... guys," Paul was the first to interject, "take a look at yourselves for a sec, huh?"
The Raines twins reluctantly began to power down, Ella somewhat more slowly than Garth, but continued to glare at one another.
"Why?" Ella finally added in a hoarse whisper. "Really. Why did you really, truly feel the need to leave your twin sister like that?" Garth paused before replying. Honestly, that week while he'd recovered and she still lay there in that evil sleep was the first week in his life he'd done anything without her. When he left, he told himself it was to stop her getting hurt again, like she'd been when they tagged along with Mark that time, and been zapped by the perimeter defences of that place when they found out Mark had been up to the tricks he'd sworn blind he'd stopped again. Now he wondered if part of him enjoyed this forced seperation. "Honestly?" Garth's reply was in a similar tone. "Honestly, I didn't want you getting hurt again." Ella's face looked like she wanted to give him a thousand replies, very few of them nice. But instead, she turned and walked towards the showers without another word, leaving a crestfallen Garth to stare at where she'd stood. Realising that he'd missed her, and wondering if she'd ever speak to him again. ____________
After the Ella and Garth show, things were a bit strained between everyone except the Kline brothers. Trinity-Orange checked on Garth, while her other selves tried to make small talk, with only moderate success. Brainy sat in a seat the whole time, trying and failing to make himself go over and talk to Andromeda. A fact not lost upon the Trinities for later use
"You'll have to come and visit me when that tyrant gives you a minute off, you realise," Cos smirked as they left. Before Paul replied, he had to bite back the impulse to correct Cos on Mr McCauley, and wondered where that came from... "No problemo bro. See you around," waving goodbye as the Legionnaires walked off to their jet. Ella, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.
[ May 28, 2004, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
The Workforce were quick, clean and efficient. 5 seconds after entering, the team's telepath had already disoriented everyone in the room, quickly followed up by another member quickly disarming anyone with a weapon, some literally. As if from nowhere, another member appeared, wrecking the computers in the process. Finally, the team leader swiftly assassinated every non-Workforcer in the room, starting from the most important downward. None of them had particularly enjoyed it.
Mano replaced his right glove, sealing the hand that murdered for McCauley in the silver sheath of Inertron. He looked around at "his" team. Micro was already yapping on to no-one in particular and Tellus, the misshapen telepath the size of a large dog slumped into a corner. But Wolf, who looked more lupine every time Mano saw him, seemed to be reacting unevenly. He wondered what demons rattled inside that skull at what this "Covert Workforce," McCauley's 'deniable' team were made to do.
------------------
Nothing seemed quite right in Brian's head. There was a girl, a girl got him into this, he was relatively certain about that, but how and why no amount of headstrain could bring within range of his waking mind. He didn't use to look like this, did he?
One thing was sure, even if he didn't know why, he was enjoying himself now.
______________________
Tikhik's condition had only improved slightly in his time in Australia. While he was as physically fit as his insectoid body would allow, his ability to teleport had been seriously compromised by the immense strain involved in teleporting some thirteen and a half thousand kilometres - around 8400 miles! As things stood, he could only open "gates" wide enough to teleport a garden pea. In his panic to get as far away from McCauley as he possibly could, he had lost any advantage that may have come from immediate exposure.
He would have to think of some way out of this... ______________
The insect problem.
It was no longer an active source of worry for McCauley - it had been over a month since it had escaped, and no trace of it's teleport signature had been picked up by the McCauley Ind. satellites in all that time.
Objectively, it was dead. But Leonard McCauley wouldn't rest until he had it's head above his fireplace...
Posted by Sanity or Madness? on :
Yes, I HAVE actually got back to this Anyone else going to too?
Richard McCauley stood outside his family's ancestral home and looked up at the facade, appreciating yet again the craftsmanship his father's father had obtained to build the residence. The moment was, he reviewed, likely to be one of the last things he would enjoy today. For he no longer resided in the house he looked upon, having retired to the Florida coast some years prior.
That honour belonged, at present, to Leonard, his eldest son, who had inherited both house and chairmanship of McCauley Industries, the company his father and he had built into a multi-million dollar conglomerate. Which, with more than eighty percent of the shares still in the hands of the McCauley family, including his own sizeable stake, was the subject of today's visit - one of his six-monthly dinners with Leonard to review the ostensible "family business." They were a matter to be tolerated, rather than enjoyed, for both of them, yet he continued to make the half-yearly trip, feeling constrained to the cycle.
At least, he reflected, whatever the company, the standards of the kitchen would need to have fallen abominably for the food to be less than excellent.
--------------------
As he walked into the porch, he noted the lack of any apparent security enhancements with distain. One could never be too careful in these uncertain times. This, in apparent karma, was immediately followed by a momentary migraine so severe that his life apparently flashed before his eyes. Before he reached the door, the butler opened it, and ushered him into the drawing room, where his son was waiting for him.
"Mr McCauley Senior, sir"
He had always disliked the "Senior," and in his still slightly disorientated state, was unable to hide his distaste. As far as he was concerned, only the "Junior" term was required (where applicable), he thought as he settled into one of the sumptuous leather armchairs.
"Will that be all, sir?"
"For the moment," his son replied, "but have the kitchen ensure that the meal is ready for seven o'clock."
"Very good, sir," said the butler, exiting backwards and shutting the door. At least one person knew his place.
Several seconds elapsed before McCauley Junior broke the silence. "Hello father."
Richard grunted in acknowledgement, as he closed his eyes, trying to banish the after-effects of the inexplicable headache.
"I see you encountered Heather. It can be quite uncomfortable I suppose, the first few times."
He shot his son a sharp glare and gruffly barked "What?!" through his neatly trimmed white beard.
"My latest addition to the security staff - a telepath who has been trained to verify the identity and intentions of everyone entering the estate.
"WHAT?! You would subject me to this indignity?! Could you not, at the very least, have trained your 'telepath' to recognise me on sight? Or provide me with some token to prove my identity?"
"It's not the world you inhabited, father. Trinkets can be stolen, shapes can be mimicked. Scanning every single person - yes, including myself! - is the only viable option."
Richard didn't like it, but he could see Leonard's point. After all, had he himself not silently berated the apparent lack of security improvements as he was about to enter? What device could prove more secure? Still... "If I understand you correctly, however, this 'Heather' is a person. How can you prove her loyalty? People can be bribed, blackmailed or simply become tired of service. And the power and knowledge she could wield, were she to turn against you... against us!"
Leonard McCauley smiled thinly. "The loyalty of her - and of all my staff - is absolute and demonstrable. Steps have been taken to ensure that betrayal is impossible."
This statement, and the absoluteness of it, gave Richard McCauley pause for thought. He was almost certain he wouldn't like the details behind that statement, and it was not something he wanted to debate on an empty stomach. He moved the subject onto McCauley Industries finances, resolving to return to that statement later...
--------------------
As far as Tikhik was concerned, he'd been stuck in Australia far, far too long. The hospitality of the Kallors had been shocking, when you considered that he looked like some sort of giant cockroach or beetle. But he couldn't impose much longer. Still, while he was recovering, he couldn't quite open a gate wide enough for him to get through - and besides, given what teleporting to Australia had done to him, teleporting back was out of the question.
"What're you thinking about?" Tom, the boy who had found him when he landed & taken him home was walking over to him. "You know what I'm thinking about..." Tikhik said, looking out onto the harbour in the morning sun. "Yeah. I suppose I can kinda understand it, after what he did to you. But, if that's all you ever think about, it'll destroy you quicker than he'd ever be able to." "I'm already destroyed though Tom. I already am..."
--------------------
The bell rang for dinner, and Richard McCauley followed his son through to one of the more moderately-sized dining rooms. Even McCauley extravagance didn't extend to using the Great Hall for a two-person meal. They sat, but at the table, but the elder McCauley was genuinely shocked when he saw that the servant girl attending them had two huge, angel-like, wings extending from her shoulder blades, and even more so when she turned and he quite clearly saw from her exposed back that they were quite clearly not strapped in place, but indeed grown from the waif herself, a girl of age - he judged, if indeed such a specimen aged normally - between 16 and 18 years.
Leonard quite clearly delighted in his father's utter shock. "Yes, father?"
Richard had not quite regained his powers of speech yet, and instead dumbly pointed at the girl.
The son's grin broadened. "Yes, quite a delightful specimen, is she not?"
"Bu-But, wings!?"
"Yes, but they're not so much to look at like this. She looks exceptionally beautiful on the wing. And she can fly, although no-one seems to be able to decide quite how."
"Bu-but..."
"You can accept the idea of a telepath sorting through your thoughts to ensure you're you, and not the idea of a girl with wings?"
Richard finally pulled himself together at that. "Yes, but for God's sake, a telepath doesn't have to be seen. A girl with angel wings? The tabloids would be all over it, then the churches would be proclaiming her the second coming or something! Are you trying to tell me that she grew those overnight and you're the first person to notice those? Notice her?"
Leonard looked the girl over, raising her head slightly with his hand from the bowed position it had been in to look her straight in the face. "Of course not to your first question, but essentially yes to the second. Apparently she's a member of some backwater tribe that's all got them, and somehow stay out of sight. Apparently, one day she decided to fly off, saw a recruitment advertisement for the Workforce and decided to try out. Putting her on the team would have been pointless, since all she can do is fly and those wings are huge targets, and arguably outright dangerous to us, given that we'd have the bible bashers all over us like maggots." He dropped her head and turned to face his father, "Still, there was no value in losing a beautiful specimen like her completely. I... convinced her that a place in my personal household was a good idea, and now she serves me loyally."
"Loyally..." there was that word again, Richard thought. Of course, the McCauleys had always demanded complete loyalty from their servants as a condition of employment, but certain aspects of Leonard's story only made sense if you read a deeper meaning into the way he delivered that word. The girl was still just standing there, head bowed, in her rather revealing blood red female servant's outfit. Not the sort who just ran away. He'd mentioned the Workforce in his story, a subject they hadn't touched on yet but Richard had fully intended to bring up anyway.
"And the active Workforce... they are just as loyal?"
"Of course."
Richard McCauley intended to say more, but the doors opened and the butler and two other servants carried the soup in at that moment. And the custom of these things was never to talk business during a meal.
--------------------
At that moment, several of the Workforce members were appearing on a late-night chat show, as part of the directive to keep the Workforce - and by extension, McCauley Industries, for whom the Workforce had become something of a talisman - in the public eye.
Most of it had consisted of regurgitations of already public backstory [like how Reflecto had discovered his power after falling off a cliff... and bouncing. And that of course he hadn't been unhinged by the experience. And no, (in response to an audience question) he hadn't heard of a character called Deadpool. Why did he ask?] The rest of it was accounts of recent and near-future work, none of which had any particular consequence [Reflecto moaned they hadn't actually had anyone stupid enough to fight them yet, and forced attempts at matching up the members romantically.
Still, it was considered good publicity. So it had to be done.
--------------------
The meal was finished - and had been excellent, as usual - and the two McCauleys had retreated to the Smoking Room. The younger McCauley had port with his cigar, while the elder maintained his preference for brandy after a repast. The winged servant girl had been compelled to follow them in, since she had already proven a curiosity.
The elder McCauley was the first to break the relaxed silence.
"Leonard," he began, "this Workforce thing, and the winged girl, and the telepath... why such a focus on these bloody super-powered people suddenly? And don't give me that cock and bull story from earlier about the girl running away from home. What you said doesn't fit what I've seen of her type. I've tried a few runaways as servants in my time, and the one thing they all had in common is that they wouldn't stand quietly like this girl has done for two and a half hours. Loyalty is one thing, unquestioning obedience is another, pleasant as it is. What is going on?"
Leonard McCauley was surprised by his father's bluntness. And, less forgivably, by his intelligence. One thing his father had never been was stupid. How could he be? He was a McCauley. It might be worth telling him everything, he thought, just to see how he would take it...
"You want the truth, father? It's simple." He paused for a moment, intending to keep it as concise as possible. "First of all, the interest is not 'sudden'. The Metahuman program has been underway, under my own, private, purview for almost three years. At first it was mostly coachloads of foreigners who 'disappeared' being experimented on, people who wouldn't be missed in this country. But the success rate there was pitiful, under one percent. So, while that has been primarily mothballed in the past seven months, the collection of pre-existing metahumans has become the cornerstone of the program. It has been mostly runaways - or metahumans testing their powers in the middle of nowhere, until the Workforce program begun. This girl (gesturing at the winged girl), was caught wondering too far afield."
Richard McCauley had been listening intently, marvelling at his son's audacity, but there were some obvious, blatant risks involved that couldn't be ignored, and he interjected at this point. "Two points - firstly, no-one's noticed all these metahumans vanishing off the face of the planet? Without even including the 'Coachloads' you mentioned earlier. Secondly, how have you been storing them? Is there a gaol out there we're housing them in? Without anyone noticing? Thirdly, just catching them doesn't explain this girl's obedience."
"Points two and three I was about to explain in a moment, if you'll permit me to continue. As to point 1... the numbers involved are low, and isolated. Vans able to assume a number of different registration plates, colour schemes and logos (if any) at the flick of a switch chriscross the country, capture the metahumans, place them in stasis and remove them to one of two detention centres where they remain in stasis until they are required. Only one capture has occurred within a thousand miles of a detention centre, and that involved a metahuman who witnessed a capture and followed the van. The incompetents who permitted this were summarily dealt with, and there is no evidence the subject alerted anyone, nor is there any evidence of any other witnessing of captures.
As to the girl's 'obedience', as you put it, all the metahumans who are used in our service undergo a degree of mental programming, dependent on their personality and what they are intended to do. This girl was judged particularly simpatico to the treatment, and given that there is no need for spontaneity in such a role, and with her proximity to me, she received one of the highest adjustments."
Leonard paused for a moment, and Richard took a few moments to absorb it all. It was brilliant, but risky beyond belief.
"What is the risk of rejecting the 'adjustment?'"
"There is no subject programmed to an extent with a risk greater than one percent."
"And the numbers involved?"
"Currently, one hundred and twenty metahumans are in our possession. Of those, only twenty, including this girl and Heather, have been released to fulfil any purpose."
"Including the Workforce?"
"Yes."
"And how "private" is the subsidiary in question? What is the likelihood of it being traced back to you? Or the Industries?"
"There are two distinct subsidiaries involved. One is the one doing the capturing and, holding and reprogramming. While that is wholly owned by me, it is done so via the usual chain to hide these things. The other is the Workforce recruiting structure, which are wholly owned by the Industries, but again, indirectly and is engaged as if it is an outside contractor."
Richard paused at this point. He had all the answers he needed on this matter... for the moment. What he needed now was time to digest it all. A related matter had entered his head...
"So, with this... obsession.. you seem to have developed over these 'metahumans,' have you ever considered attempting to become a metahuman yourself? Given adequate safety testing and guarantees of course." The tone of voice would have left a deaf man in no doubt that he disapproved of the possibility. But Leonard either chose to pretend he had not caught that, or else simply disregarded that.
"Not as things stand, no. However, pleasant as it is to have such... servants," his eyes involuntarily twitched in the direction of the winged girl here, "the possibilities which may be afforded by personally wielding such power are not to be discounted. Indeed, I have actively examined the possibility in the past of inducing certain, specific, abilities in myself and continue to do so. Does that trouble you?"
In response, Richard merely snorted and swirled the brandy in his glass before taking a deep draught.
--------------------
The Legion's battle raged on the surface. Trinity, as a scout party all by herself, had elected to try and sneak through the sewers to reach their base and shut down the power supply. Suddenly, there was a silent flash of light around the corner. Carefully, Neutral looked around the corner, and straight into a face of solid night.
Shocked, she was easily grabbed by another man, as the helmeted figure spoke; "I am sorry child, truly sorry. Had I but a choice, I would have nothing to do with the corrupt force that drives me to do this." With that, he removed his glove (fortunately for her, his left hand of disruption, not his right hand of destruction), and, as her other selves rushed towards him, touched her lightly. The other two of her suddenly merged with the spasming Neutral, who slid into quiet unconsciousness after a few seconds. "But my will is not my own."
Replacing his glove, Mano hoisted the comatose Trinity over his shoulder, muttered "Damn you McCauley" under his breath, and they slid out quietly the way they'd come in.
--------------------
As Richard McCauley left, he felt an unease at the path his son had taken for the company. While he had no particular moral objections to the brainwashing - he'd done enough in his life that he'd forfeited any claim to a moral high ground - it was deucedly tricky. And dangerous. Whatever assurances he had, it only took one to crack at an unfortuitous time, or one subject to resist ever so slightly and it got out, the company could well be ruined, especially given how high profile this "Workforce" was. The press loved underdogs. He'd have to make enquiries, see what was to be done...
"Aaggghh." That blasted headache again, only ten times worse, probably because of the alcohol. Did they scan everyone on the way out as well? Whatever the headache, at least the meeting had gone better than planned, and, he thought as he entered his chauffeur-driven limousine, he could safely return to his comfortable retirement for six months as long as the figures in the interim report the following week matched what his son had claimed. It was good to know there was nothing to be concerned about...
[ August 11, 2004, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Andromeda lay on her bed, lost in thought. Slowly, she removed her earrings, two white stars, and held them in her hands for a few seconds before opening them to look at her only pictures of her parents. Glancing around, through the walls and door, and seeing no-one, she let the tears come.
Two hours before, she'd heard the news that the White Triangle had robbed a US Army storehouse in Texas, but she couldn't pretend, to herself or to anyone else, that the river on her face was for the people who had died there. They were for her, for the loss of her childhood in the orphanage - the "child heroine", who'd stopped the Triangle "after the tragic death of her parents" and had shown "terrific bravery in the face of terrorism." Before being forgotten about. And today's deaths had brought that pain straight back. She felt selfish - so many deaths, so much pain, and only her own mattered to her - but while the shame of the thought made her cheeks glow redder as the salt water ran down them, her mind still cried "WHY?!" Why her parents? Why couldn't it have been someone else who suffered? Why had the man, just out of mind, dumped her in the orphanage? She was a little girl again, the emotional walls she'd built in the orphanage tumbling down in the moment as she cried louder. She didn't want her powers. She didn't want this lifestyle. All she wanted was her mummy and daddy...
She cried for fifteen minutes more, her first cry in over five years, before she stood as her tears tapered off, though her breath still came in gasps. Looking at the clock, she was due to be at one of McCauley's plants somewhere or other in an hour... with Reflecto. She finished pulling herself together and floated to the shower quickly - never mind the PR aspect, if Reflecto of all people saw her like this she'd never hear the end of it. Ever. _____________________
Trinity sat alone in the pitch-black room. Her three selves had scoured the room by touch for any sign of an exit, but had found only a toilet and a slot which had lit up once, delivering a single plate of food which she'd had to integrate to eat. Now, the girl who could never be alone felt very alone indeed. _____________________
"Ooooohhhhh...."
She arched her back slightly more still at his ministrations, which caused him to redouble his effort. While he was gaining little direct pleasure from this, she was broadcasting a degree of hers as inducement to continue, Perhaps, were he to please her sufficiently, she would allow him full pleasure of his own.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...
---------------
After making sure he would sleep for several hours, Meta headed for his showerroom, planning to clean up before returning to her own quarters. At last, she thought as she stepped under the running water, her life was running smoothly for the first time since her telepathy emerged. The adulation she deserved, someone to enjoy herself with... yes, she thought as she dried, dressed, and exited Ultraboy's quarters, ready to preen herself in her own, finally, she could indulge herself as she deserved.
[ December 08, 2011, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Simon Richards was working at his desk in a classified section of the Australian government when a bright green hole opened in the air beside him and a tall, husky bloke in a blue costume & badly-made mask and a giant insect tumbled through.
Now, Mr. Richards was not a particuarly brave man, and had ended up where he was more or less by accident; and the sight of a giant insect and someone rather taller and stronger than you appearing out of thin air would disturb anyone. It will, therefore, not surprise you to learn that his reaction was less "ice in his veins" and more "brown trousers."
Don't worry. we're not going to hurt you," said the insect, with a discernable accent. You might have thought that the words had been said by a salivating vampire with a fixation on Mr. Richards' neck to judge from his reaction.
"T... Gates, I thought we agreed *I* would say that this time," muttered the tall guy before continuing aloud to Mr Richards, "We just need your help to contact the Legion of Super-Heroes."
Mr. Richards fainted.
-----
"Do you realise how ridiculous you look?"
It was several hours earlier, after Tom had fastened his makeshift mask about his face. Tikhik continued, "The 'secret identity' is a piece of fiction. No-one could mistake your face no matter how much you cover it."
"I need to do something to stop my mum finding out. D'you want my help or not? Now, codenames. I was thinking of "Starboy" to go with my T-shirt..."
"Oh, for..." _______________
Trinity saw a flash of pink light in the corner and jumped. Suddenly, the outline of a elven young woman appeared, illuminated by the pink glow from a short spear she held in her hand.
Trinity immediately split into three, but the woman said "I'm sorry," in a small, soft voice and threw the spear at the floor beneath their feet, whereupon they felt themselves falling...
Posted by Reboot on :
The three Trinities landed in a heap on the floor of a corridor. Immediately, all three felt their limbs penetrated by the jab of needles, and suddenly they felt so very tired, unable to offer resistance as they were lifted onto medical trolleys.
A nervous voice was speaking in the background "You got the dosage right, didn't you? They won't pass out before the tests are done? Remember, we need them groggy, not out cold..." "Relax 'Doc,'" the second voice was another male, but deeper, stronger, "I know my anaesthesia."
The nervous voice kept chattering, but Trinity-Neutral stopped listening after that. Trying hard to fight the chemical cosh that bound her, she needed to focus on getting out of this, not listen to the chatter. She felt mentally for Orange and Purple's minds, but both felt weak, more like trickling streams than the rivers that usually ran through her head. If it hadn't been for Irma passing on her experience in dealing with similar problems day-to-day, she didn't know how... FOCUS, she thought. Orange and Purple felt distant, was that her, them or both? Probably both. She tested her limbs, internally screaming as best she could for her sisters to do the same and hoping they followed. It was like waking up in the morning, she could move, but too slowly and with too much effort to do anything. She reached out her hands to either side, and felt her sisters' hands clasp hers. Besides the reassurance of the touch itself, she felt their minds more strongly with the physical contact, and squeezed Orange's hand tightly to reassure her. Neither of them were in any better condition than her for a fight, so there was only one thing to do.
The nurse and the doctor, still talking, hadn't been paying much attention to Trinity, against orders, and almost jumped out their skins when the three bodies flowed and merged into one red, orange and purple-garbed young woman, who proceeded to jump up and knock both of them out in one flowing move. Quickly, she grabbed the lab coat of the smaller man, and, donning it, swiftly rummaged through their other pockets, grabbing keys, paper, badges and other miscellany without looking and stuffing them into her pockets before straightening up and heading for the first ladies' room she could find at a swift trot.
As she walked, she felt uneasy at how quiet her mind was - when integrated, she could usually feel her three sides gently pulling at her mind, moreso when she felt really conflicted. Obviously, the drugs were still affecting her, even if only indirectly, so splitting wasn't an option and wouldn't be for a while, maybe hours. As she walked, looking around for a bathroom or, in a pinch, another unoccupied and unlocked room, she prioritised. Obviously, her first priority was not to be recaptured. Next, find out where she was and contact the Legion. Then, kick ass.
She smiled at the last as she finally found a toilet which, thankfully, was empty, before entering a cubicle and locking the door. Obviously her "Purple" side was more a part of her than she sometimes realised...
She searched through the clutter she'd picked from the pockets of her captors. Most, she discarded immediately as irrelevant. The keys she returned to her pockets after a glance, as they were all standard types and told her eyes nothing, but obviously might prove useful. She looked at her watch. Five minutes since she'd escaped - the guys she'd knocked out might come round or be discovered at any moment, and she couldn't fight off a whole group of people, especially while confined to one body. She looked through the material again, including the stuff she'd initially discarded, and noticed a common pattern. Most referenced Leonard McCauley, McCauley Industries, the Workforce, or all three. Worth taking on as a hypothesis at any rate she thought, although maddeningly there was no map of the place or information on exactly where "here" was.
She looked at her watch again and decided she had to move. This wasn't a defensible position, nor particularly hard to find. She stuffed the more promising things back in her pockets, dropped the rest in the system, rather than the bowl, of the lavatory and returned to the corridor. Most of the rooms had lights off, and fortunately the first key worked on the first door she tried. Locking it behind her, she took the nurse's pencil flashlight from her pocket and played it around the room. Bare office, an air vent far too small for her to fit through and no windows. Underground or just at the centre of the building? Either way, she realised as she rummaged through the drawers and found nothing useful, no escape and not a better hiding place than the toilet. Dare she risk the telephone? No. It might not give an outside line, even if it could it might need to go through a switchboard, and either way it would give her position away immediately. And they had a teleporter in the elf girl if they caught her again, so even if she got through straight away and the Legion traced the call and came straight away to rescue her, she wouldn't be here for them to rescue if they got her before her friends reached her. Catch-22.
She needed a cellphone. Her own had been taken before she woke up in the Black Room - the thought of the place she'd spent a day and a night giving her an involuntary shudder - and it was the only way she could contact her friends and have a hope of staying free long enough for them to reach her. And her selves were still silent in her mind, which worried her more. Would she have to split again and let the drugs pass out their systems normally? She'd never been drugged while split before, and had taken a risk by integrating. For all she knew, she'd have ended up with triple the dose in one body. It had been worth the risk though. Now at least she had a chance.
Then again, taking it was another matter, she thought as she ran down the corridor. She looked left and right as she ran down the seemingly infinite corridor for signs of an elevator or a set of stairs. Nada. Breathless, she pulled up at a random door and tried the keys on it. This time, none worked. She pounded the door in sheer frustration. Looking through the window on the door, she still saw no window in that room either. Or in any of the others she glanced in. Given the length of the corridor, surely she had to be underground. How did everyone reach their offices in an incredibly long corridor with no means of access? She was missing something... En suite elevators? Costly, impractical and you'd be as well building the rooms on the floor(s) above. Teleporters? Not for this number of offices, and the Legion would have heard of it surely. The elven girl teleporting everyone from a lobby to here? Again, if she was doing something like that, this would have to be a sealed community for no-one to have called the Legion about it. They got tons of calls, even unbidden, and Brainy and Lyle would occasionally spend a couple of hours going over the stats for fun and trying to discern the dispersion of powers and the percentage of fake calls. She'd joined in a couple of times, and whatever way you cut it, teleporters were almost as rare as hen's teeth, and if one had been reported Cos would have been off like a shot to have a chat with him or her, flash his earnest smile at them and probably talk them into joining without them realising it. Everyone always underestimated him...
Actually, she realised, that was a thought. What if it was a sealed community? By this point, most people in the Western world had heard of the Legion, and kidnapping her was a cross between kidnapping a cop and a... minor, she had to admit... celebrity. Or perhaps that was why - she checked her watch; it was two in the morning right now, which meant it had been after midnight when she was teleported out of the Black Room - she'd been taken for whatever-the-hell-it-was in the middle of the night, while the place was deserted. Were they scared someone not in on the ins and outs of what went on here might recognise her? What did happen here anyway? Were they... coll..ec...ting metahumans - she pulled the material she'd kept out of her pockets. McCauley. Workforce. Metahumans. She'd been drugged and taken for god-knows-what.... and images of Spark that day she'd visited with Cos, Garth and Brainy played across her head.
«Cos...Garth..., oh God...» she thought. Hang her safety, this was bigger than her. If metahumans, including Cos' brother and Garth's sister, were being captured and brainwashed all over the country, this needed to get out. If she wasn't here when the Legion arrived, at least they could save somebody.
With no regard for niceties, she kicked the door of the nearest office just beside the lock. On the second go it gave way, and she was in. She turned the light on, went straight for the telephone, heard the dial tone and called Cos' private number. Everyone worth calling would be in bed anyway, and proving her identity to the switchboard would take far too long.
She didn't get Cos. Instead, an unfamiliar voice answered and she realised she hadn't had an outside line.
"Hello. We've been waiting for you to call."
A black hole appeared in front of her, and five figures appeared from it. One was the elven woman, whose skin, she could now see, was lilac. She looked deeply unhappy at the situation. Another was the man, all jet-black bar his gloves, who had caught her and she trembled slightly at the sight of him. There was also what looked like a horribly misshapen dog, a man who vanished almost before he registered to her eyes, and a half-man, half-something-furry-and-toothy-and-clawy. Immediately, she felt something try to worm into her mind, and resisted. Her unique mind structure helped her resist, and on top of that she'd trained with Irma until her mind was strong enough to repel the most determined gatecrash Irma could throw at it. In comparison to that level of punishment, this was nothing, she thought as she launched herself at the werewolf-thing, catching it square on the jaw with her foot and knocking it down but not out as she sprung back and onto the yellow and purple, leathery "dog", vaulting over it and smashing the glass helmet of the jet-black man, not injuring him that she could see but causing him to collapse nonetheless. Taking advantage of the momentary "break", she ran over to the elf-girl, who'd taken no part in the fight and seemed to be willing Trinity on, and screamed at her to get her out of there.
"I can't," the elf's blue-white, pupil-less eyes showed signs of tears. "I'm sorry, but I can't." "If you're scared, we - the Legion - we'll protect you from whoever this is. Just, please..." "No," the soft voice seemed to grow smaller still, "you don't understand, I want to, but I really can't." "Why?" Trinity was on the verge of panic, she couldn't have more than seconds before her opponents recovered, but she tried to control her voice, "Why not?" "They won't let me, and unless I'm told to...,"
Her head drooped forward in defeat, but as Trinity realised in horror how right she'd been, she felt herself flattened. The guy who had vanished before had suddenly appeared on her shoulder and grown to human size in a second. Straining, she couldn't lift him off of her."
"Now, come on," she couldn't see his face, but just knew the arrogant bastard was smirking at her, "this really could only end one way."
Something hit her on the head, and her world went black again.
Posted by Somebody on :
The woman opened her story once more, but the young children never tired of hearing of it. Of her true friends she'd met, who she'd lost and was destined to meet time and time again, in different places, different times, different forms. Always seeing the true path back to her original friends, forever kept from it. Her grey skin and pale eyes glistened as she told them of the battles she'd shared, the love she'd lost, the people they'd saved. She wasn't an old woman - indeed, she didn't look like she'd seen twenty yet - but there was something about her that suggested she'd seen more than others saw in a lifetime. But only the children seemed to see the fire and determination in her eyes to, one day, be reunited with her friends...
Posted by Reboot on :
I can talk about it now that they're over, those dark days under McCauley's control, now that... but, of course, you haven't reached that part of the story yet.
Can you imagine what it's like to realise that you don't have control over your own actions? That was the moment I realised. Everything up to that point I'd managed to rationalise one way or another. But after seeing her in that dark, dark room, knowing that I'd put her there, when she begged me to get her away before they recaptured her every fibre of my being screamed to respond, to teleport her - us - out of there. Instead, I let my head fall and murmered something apologetic. Because I couldn't do it. Not from fear, not from a desire not to, I physcially couldn't defy them.
All the psychatrists, all the councellors, they've all been telling me I shouldn't blame myself for what happened. Some of them might even mean it. Either way, how can I not blame myself? Even after Micro had knocked her unconscious, a flick of my wrist and a blink of my eyes would have freed her. Instead, I was ordered to take the whole group to a medical room - and I obeyed.
There, while Wolf recovered and Mano got a new helmet, I had to stand and watch "at the ready" in case I was needed; while they "played it safe" by putting a collar of some sort on Trinity. Then, mercifully, I didn't have to watch what they did next after they wheeled her into the next room, which looked like the chamber Frankenstein's monster woke up in, complete with huge switch. But, an hour later after I'd been allowed to sit down, I did hear her screaming and turned away, trying and failing to block her out while I cried and cursed my weakness.
I only saw her twice more before the big endgame. The first was the following day, when she stood like a zombie while I took her to the office of McCauley himself, and waited outside before returning her to the room I'd taken her from, a bedroom, not the black room. The second was a week later, when I took her and a man I've never seen before or since to a back alley near Legion HQ. He whispered a few words to her, and I saw her wake up from the zombie-state as he directed us to blink us away.
Even though she knows now that it's not my fault, I was controlled the way most of us were controlled, I still haven't been able to face her to say sorry. It seems so... tiny in comparison to what she must have gone through, especially when she first had to face it. It's why I asked to write this bit of this book. Not to justify what I did, since I should have been able to break the conditioning, the way [CENSORED] later did, and I still hate myself for not doing it, especially when I heard those screams. Just to apologise as best I can.
Sorry Trinity.
[ July 27, 2005, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Irma was annoyed and worried.
Annoyed because, although - after she finally snapped and threatened to make the next person who called her "Satin Girl" spend a week believing themself to be a hamster - people had stopped calling her it to her face, she still had to hear it running through their minds. She was prepared to swear some of them were doing it on purpose...
Worried because of Trinity. Since she'd appeared back at HQ out of the blue one evening, she'd refused to let her do a proper mindscan to find out what had happened to her. That wasn't like Trinity at all, who she'd spent several sessions with, helping her adjust to becoming three minds in one and training her to resist psi-attacks. And even a cursory scan not only showed that Trinity wasn't lying when she said she couldn't remember a thing, but told her that something was badly out of place in Lorna's mind - what, she couldn't tell without going deeper, and she couldn't and wouldn't go deeper without Trinity's permission. She communicated her concerns to Cos, who she could tell shared her concern... maybe moreso.
"She's been badly traumatised somehow Cos. I know the physical didn't show anything, but the amnesia's proof enough without whatever else I can feel wrong about her."
"So what do you want me to do? Send her away to go rot? Give her time Irma, she's had a bad shock."
Irma got impatient; "I know she's had a bad shock Cos, that's what I'm SAYING! And it's not going to get better... SHE'S not going to get better, without making her face her missing fortnight."
Rex bit his lip. He knew Irma was right, but he couldn't order Lorna to let Irma into her head. Firstly, it seemed wrong to even think about giving such an order. Secondly, it went against the grain to order anyone to do anything - the trick to good leadership was manoeuvring events and people in such a way that you never had to give orders; if you had to order people about rather than just ask, things were already bad. Thirdly, he should really tell Leviathan, who was after all still the official leader even if he'd unofficially demurred to Cos, and Gene was edgy about Lorna being on the team already between her "limited" powers and her disappearing off the face of the Earth for nearly three weeks. If he suspected anything was seriously off with her, Cos could hardly disagree that Lorna should be off the team right now. And he just knew that, whatever was wrong with her, sticking her on gardening leave wasn't going to make her better.
Irma, seeing - and, obliquely, feeling - Cos' thought process, interjected with a softer tone; "It doesn't need to be me Cos, it doesn't even need to be a telepath. But she's got over two weeks of missing memory plus god-knows-what repressed trauma. She needs help. Urgently. You're close to her, you don't need to order her, just try and talk her into seeing someone. For her own sake."
"I'll... have a word Irma. But if she doesn't want to, I won't force her. I can't force her."
-------
At that moment, Trinity was lying silently, split into three, on her king-size bed in her room. To all appearances, the three of her were silent, but they were talking to each other inside their heads. All trying to figure out what it was just behind the veil. There was a glowing stick, a man with horn-rimmed glasses, a syringe... but all so faint, so vague. Why couldn't she... they... remember?
[ August 05, 2005, 04:17 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
"God, I'm BORED!"
The exclaimation had been building in Spark's throat for at least fifteen minutes now, and the sentiment behind it had been rattling around in her for at least a week. There was no two ways of saying it - life with the Workforce had become very, very dull. They trained, they smiled for a lot of cameras, they had to suffer that stupid canned music whenever they entered the building... and not much else happened. Oh, for an actual supervillain to fight or something...
Lying on her bed, she played idly with her electricity, joining her fingers with it like someone playing with an elastic band. No-one else was around. Unless someone was paying for the whole team to turn up or McCauley had some big launch, they generally went about in twos, and she was the odd girl out today.
She looked at the phone. 212-555-7452. Garth's private number. She knew it by heart, but she wasn't going to be the one to call him. He left her behind.
She suddenly found she had the phone in her hand and her fingers hovered over the buttons. Slamming it down angrily, she walked over to the bathroom. She wasn't going to be the one to give in on this. He wanted to patronise her, care more about their stupid degenerate brother than her, let him! He chose to split them up, it was HIS FAULT. The last two words were shouted as she generated enough voltage to split the water on her hands into hydrogen and oxygen, and narrowly avoided destroying the sink.
Now, she cried, fighting it all the way but unable to stop herself. She splashed water in her face, bit her tongue and gulped down water until the sobbing stopped. She was not going to let Garth get her worked up like this. Stupid bullheaded jerk that he was.
She went back into her room, stripped off and changed into her nightshirt, and semi-randomly grabbed a DVD from her "comedy" pile. It was only two in the afternoon, but suddenly she felt like vegetating, and it was her day off after all. As the big red ship filled the screen, she knocked a chunk off the chocolate bar she kept by her bedside. No, she didn't need Garth. Really.
Posted by Reboot on :
"Thank you for continuing to hold, please wait."
The muzak resumed.
Livewire struggled not to fry the phone.
His frustration had been building for fifteen minutes now, ever since he'd called to find himself put on hold. He'd called the Workforce switchboard at least ten times in the past week, trying to get through to his sister, and every time he'd been put on permanent hold. He needed to talk to Ella, didn't this stupid machine realise that? It was his fault, he knew that, and he wanted to sort it out, but he had to talk to her on the phone before arranging a face-to-face meeting after what happened last time.
Finally, his frustration got the better of him and he slammed the phone down and stormed out of the building with the "intention" of wandering aimlessly. He needed his twin sister. Really.
Posted by Reboot on :
«Okay, first real fight, don't blow it,» Polarity thought moments before a giant green boxing glove hit him in the face
--------------------
Andromeda was nervous as she stepped out of the black limosine. That feeling came more and more often to her nowadays, even if she was still good at not showing it, since she seemed to be expected to take a higher and higher profile. Still, this was verging on outright scary, and she stepped off the ground in case her walk was affected by the threat of her knees trembling.
The actual photo shoot had been arranged over a month before, but she had only found out about it a few days ago. The prospect, to her, wasn't thrilling.
--------------------
"Hey, Drag, some help here would be nice!"
Dragonmage looked, seemingly impassively, on as Ultraboy ran, superfast, in a circle around their attacker, trying desperately to avoid the blasts being spat at him while Dragonmage floated high. Out of sight, out of mind.
--------------------
"Here I come to save the day!" Reflecto sang as he leapt backwards into the air, swords flashing brightly in the sunlight, straight over a cutting laser now aimed about half an inch beneath his spine.
Enrapture scowled at him.
--------------------
"Paul...arity!" Spark shouted and blasted their assailent as she saw Polarity wasn't getting up. He retreated, temporarily blinded but otherwise unhurt from her full-strength blast.
"C'mon Paul..." she muttered, shaking him, then giving him a slight shock to wake him up.
"Ummm.. did we win...?"
"Not yet - MOVE!" she yelled, as another boxing glove scarcely missed them. "Well, at least he's predictable," she quipped nervously.
--------------------
Andromeda sat in her dressing room and looked at the excuses-for-clothing she was meant to be pictured in. It wasn't that she was ashamed of how she looked - far from it - it just felt... wrong to pose like this.
--------------------
Jose was tiring. Even an ultra guy could only run for so long. And to top it off the ****in mage was still hovering there. What the **** was he ****ing waiting for exactly?
Indeed, to all appearances, Dragonmage was just hovering atop a glowing green dragon. But...
--------------------
Reflecto was enjoying himself. Nothing the blaster could do would hurt him after all. It was just an excuse for a good workout.
Enrapture was less thrilled. As for as she could tell, there was no mind behind the form attacking them. It was as shallow as a cardboard cut-out, and left her with nothing to work with. She thus wished Reflecto would stop clowning around & just shoot the thing, and communicated this to him telepathically in the most forceful terms.
Bad enough they were stuck out in the middle of a desert filming a car ad. Actual danger meant she'd better get something out of this, as she eyed up one of the young male technicians fleeing the fight.
--------------------
Polarity looked at Spark and tried to remember that this wasn't a good time to ask her to be his date for the Halloween party. "Any ideas?"
"Not many."
They'd been hitting-and-running for the past five minutes, trying desperately to stay ahead of the mute, black-and-green-clad figure chasing them. Oddly enough, it didn't seem interested in the retail park they'd been showily defending, but in them specifically. And it had missed several clear-cut chances to knock them both out for the count, preferring instead to prolong the fight.
"Double-tag then?"
"Okaay," Spark replied, not confident. Yeah, greater than the sum of the parts and all, but it was going to leave them wide open.
Both of them were wishing Dragonmage or Andromeda were there.
--------------------
Andromeda lay back, clad only in a small bikini, and tried to look relaxed as the she heard the clicks of the camera.
"And great - and over."
As she turned over to float on her front above the white box of a set, head supported by arms which were supported by thin air, and gave the camera an odd sort of grin she'd been told to give, she wasn't feeling any more comfortable. No matter how tight her costume was, it still covered her whole body and she wasn't comfortable with this at all. She felt like she'd give anything to be allowed to really cut loose and hit something right now.
--------------------
Dragonmage finally swooped down at the figure in green and black, lifting it up by its brown hair and blinked twice.
Where the figure had been that had troubled Ultraboy so much, a cardboard cut-out of that figure floated down to the ground.
"Did you... what... was..." Ultraboy spluttered, trying to force the words out.
"Magically animated drawing. Fairly simple spell, really." Dragonmage checked his nails casually, showily, as if they were more of a problem than the thing which had Ultraboy running in circles.
"Then WHY DIDN'T..."
"Ultraboy..." Dragonmage gestured to the cameras which had caught every second of the fight for Workforce TV, "if you're going to save the day, you need perfect timing."
With that, he flew up casually into the air, followed a moment later by badly annoyed Ultraboy.
--------------------
"Reflecto, I swear..."
Moments before, Reflecto had rescued Enrapture when the ground she had been standing on was blasted into a trench metres-deep. True to form, she was more annoyed at being slung over his shoulder and seen as the damsel in distress than at being saved from a pair of broken legs or worse.
"You know, you probably want to see about losing some weight. I'm thinking of seeing McCauley about starting my own fitness line - Reflecto's Fitness Spectacular... no Reflecto's Get-in-Shape, wait..."
He didn't seem to notice the fact that they were running from an ever-widening hole in the Earth behind them.
"Reflecto," Enrapture muttered telepathically from her indignant position, "if you don't shoot this bastard right this second I use your body to do it for you..."
"Hey - that's the fun bit! Okay, it's not quite as fun as..."
"REFLECTO!"
"Okay, okay, sheesh, you'd think we were in trouble or something." With that, he dumped Enrapture on the desert ground, ran around to pull the beam after him, reached into his shoulder holsters and put two bullets between their assailant's eyes before it even registered with it that Reflecto had touched the guns.
"Thank you, thank you very much!" Reflecto's Elvis impression was dire, Enrapture thought as she picked herself up. He would pay for this - all of this. Slowly...
She wandered over to the figure and found only what looked like a cross between a shooting-range target and one of those cardboard cut-outs of celebrities. It was flat and had two clean holes in it's head where Reflecto's bullets had passed through. In details, it resembled the figure they'd been fighting, but the figure they'd been fighting had been solid.
She brushed her hair back, massaged her tender rump from where Reflecto had thrown her on the ground, and walked towards the oddly-undamaged portakabins they were staying in. She'd have to be the one to write a report, since Reflecto could barely focus long enough to brush his teeth, but after that she was having that technician, by hook or by crook. She had a lot of stress to work off.
--------------------
Polarity placed his arms round Spark's body.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Isn't it my job to ask that?"
"Stop stalling."
"I don't stall, I proctrastinate."
"Been reading the dictionary?"
"Now who's stalling?"
They paused.
"GO!" They shouted together and leapt out as one, Polarity generating power which Spark absorbed, converting it to pure electricity, which she let out as a continuous bolt in the direction of their assailant, blasting and hoping until she saw him finally fall. Then her legs gave way.
"Ella!" Polarity held her up.
"S'okay Paul, just tired. Don't think I'm meant to use double power," she forced a weak smile. "Better check on that guy before he gets up again."
"Don't think that's a problem," as Polarity looked across and saw the charred remains of a cardboard figure where their assailant had been. «What the hell...?»
--------------------
Andromeda finally got back into her own clothes at the end of a long, long day. Refusing the chaffeured lift back, she flew high and fast before anyone could object.
«Haven't been up here in a while,» she thought as she soared into the clear night sky. Ever since she'd joined McCauley, in fact. And after a day like that, the little voice at the back of her head that sometimes niggled "Why" got louder. It was something she hadn't wanted to do, and yet she'd done. And the flight over a desert road, only a van travelling the empty road in any direction within five miles of her, rang a faint bell somewhere in her head.
«Why?» she wondered as she touched down at the Workforce compound.
--------------------
"I saw the news reports. Superlatively done, even I must confess. No injuries or deaths, no significant damage, and all thanks to the Workforce." McCauley's snake-like smile broadened.
"Of course sir. Will you be wanting any more any time soon?"
"No, no, not yet. Overdo it, and they begin to wonder, and we can't have that Dragonmage, can we? Incidentally, that other thing I asked you about, after the scientists didn't find a metagene..."
"Certainly magic at play, sir, but I can't duplicate the spell yet. It's... complicated"
McCauley's smile faded, but it had been too good a day, and he needed Jin onside. "Very well, you may go. And remember, speak of neither of these things to anyone."
Posted by Reboot on :
Spark entered the rec room, and, seeing that Andromeda was the only other one there, using a computer, walked over to her. "What're'you up to?"
"Trying to pick a costume for the Hallowe'en party."
"Wait... we're getting to go to that?"
Andromeda looked round at her. "No-one told you?"
"I heard the Legion had invited us, but no-one told me You-Know-Who had said we could go."
Andromeda bit back an automatic remark about calling McCauley that, wondered why she'd had to, and replied "It came through a few days ago, and it's even registered with Reflecto. You're sure you haven't just forgotten?"
Suddenly, Spark realised why no-one had told her. Garth. No-one on the team (except Reflecto, but that was a given) had mentioned the big argument she'd had in the room with her twin brother since the event itself. And attending the Legion Hallowe'en party meant she'd be face-to-face with him for the first time since. Obviously no-one had wanted to be the one to see her reaction.
"Ella?"
Spark shook her head to clear it at Laurel's slightly worried tone. "I'm fine. What've'you got so far?"
Laurel thought that Spark had taken it better than she'd expected, but didn't say anything about it. "Not much. I think whoever thought 'comic book superheroes' was a good theme for us was being far too cute. Besides, just look at some of these costumes."
"Says the girl who spent Thursday having her picture taken in a hundred bikinis or less," smirked Spark as she moved in to look at the screen. Admittedly, a few of the costumes WERE a bit... extreme, but most weren't anywhere near as bad as the now beet-red Laurel had suggested, especially when they went around in practically painted-on blue and black suits as a matter of course. "Why'd you do it anyway?" she asked in a more serious tone after seeing Andromeda's discomfort.
"I... don't know," Laurel muttered in a small voice.
Spark looked back round at the tall, powerful blonde, who suddenly looked more unsure of herself than Ella had ever seen her; "You can't ignore it Laurel. In a couple of months, tops, those pictures are going to be all over America and the internet."
Andromeda suddenly wished Spark had kept to slagging her. That, she could deal with. As it was, she tried to say something, but no words came out and she looked to the side and down, away from Spark.
Spark saw this and thought about saying more, but realised it wasn't going to help matters. She had to do something to make Laurel confront it though...
Her eyes flicked back to the screen, and she had an idea. She scrolled through the huge list of superheroine costumes, looking for one for a tall, strong-looking, fairly "well endowed" blonde woman, that covered a fair amount of skin but was still far more "daring" than Laurel would pick for herself. She looked back at her - Laurel was now sitting back in the chair with her eyes closed, looking like she was trying to compose herself. Granted, considering her X-ray vision that was no guarantee she wasn't looking, but Ella doubted she was.
"Dare you to wear this to the party."
Laurel opened her eyes, sat up, and her eyes went wide. The drawing on screen showed a woman with short blonde hair, *huge* breasts, even bigger muscles than Laurel herself and was somewhat shorter to judge. The costume itself was a white leotard, covering arms but not legs, with blue gloves and boots and a short red cape... and a huge hole in the middle of the chest, suggesting that the character in question was not anatomically correct (even over and above some of the... grosser abnormalities).
"You are not serious."
"Why not?"
"Because... because... LOOK at it."
Spark let out an artificially-huge sigh. "I'm not suggesting you get implants or cut your hair off or anything. Just wear it with what you've got - which is more than me, face it. You'll be stunning."
Andromeda opened her mouth to object, but Spark cut in again before she could speak, "It's not as if you'll be showing off anywhere near as much as the other day," before adding on a whim, "Tell you what - you wear that, and I wear a costume you pick for me, no questions asked. I back off, you can back off. How about it?"
Laurel didn't answer. She could tell Ella wasn't going to let this go in a hurry. Instead of answering, she opened a new window and started looking through costumes for Spark. She wasn't going to be a hypocrite and find something like the "costume" for... Vamparella, wasn't it?... she'd seen earlier just to get out of it. Spark was a lot more comfortable showing skin in general than she was anyway - she'd often worn bikinis in her off-hours over the summer and gone sunbathing, and hadn't cared who'd seen her. It had to be something else, some form of detailing or something...
Bingo. The character even had red hair.
"That one."
Spark looked at the screen, agog. After she'd said that she more-than-half-expected to be turning up at the party in a bikini or something, which she'd have been fine with. But what was on-screen covered the character's whole body save the head, which was surprising in itself. What it did have, however, was...metal?... spikes jutting out of the very tight one-piece red leather suit, down the middle of the front and spine to the waist and along the tops of each arm to the wrist, all four lines of spikes reaching right up to the poloneck.
It looked like it would be hell to sit down in.
"Deal's a deal Ella," Laurel said, confident she wouldn't have to wear the white costume, "you wear that, I'll wear the white costume."
Spark swallowed, and set her face. She wasn't letting Laurel off that easily.
"Deal," she said, and held out her hand. Andromeda was surprised, but couldn't back off after she'd said that. "Deal," and shook Spark's hand.
Both then left the room at a slightly-too-quick walking pace, Laurel to her room and Ella to the gardens, both hoping the other would blink before Halloween.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Previously, in the 21st Century Legion:
quote:Originally posted by Juan: The Eye's awakening had forced him to leave the Zone of Phantoms in Iran, but he had not been cured, and although the long years of dormancy had allowed him to function for a little while, the effects of the lead poisoning had soon reappeared. He had been easily defeated by the Eye, and soon laid heavily injured on the floor, merely a spectator to the events unfolding. That the group had managed to fight to a draw was a statement to their power. After hours of incessant fighting (Monius Ellysius and Blok had lost consciousness by then), the Emerald Empress just stopped, saying that she had better things to do, and simply left. The other three, unable to stop her, could only stare in disbelief, amazed that they had actually managed to survive.
Events unfolded quickly afterwards. Proiectra buried her father and turned her back on her throne. Moldavians were ready for a republican government, she said, and since the only purpose of the Moldavian monarchy had been to contain the Romanescu clan, now that that mission had failed there was no purpose for the monarchy itself. And then they left for England. The choice was obvious, Tatiana Mallor was the fourth member of Irma Ardeen's circle of telepathic friends, and bot Maizah and Proiectra had known her for years. Maizah had been concerned about having to transport Blok, but he said that he didn't need to fly, and then simply merged with the ground and reappeared in England.
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Tatiana watched as the mysterious man from the past lay in his bed, growing sicker by the minute. He could barely speak anymore, and although his body looked chiseled and impressive, he was too weak to use the limbs he once labored so hard to strengthen. "Monius...Elysius..." he had whispered to her earlier, and she understood that it was his name. She and Maziah had taken to calling him "Mon-El" for short, since neither was sure if they were pronouncing it right.
The Emerald Empress, as she now called herself, would have to be dealt with, although they had enough trouble of their own now. Tatiana watched the young man and found herself strangely attracted to him. "Mon-El...it will be alright, we are trying to reach help..." she whispered, as she looked at his garb and wondered if it was truly Roman as they had guessed earlier. She was unsure what anything truly was right now...
quote:Originally posted by Juan: "You do know who he is, don't you?"
"You talk?" The rocky creature was standing beside her.
"Yes. I have been listening to the words of humans for a long time."
"You mean Mon-El? You know who he is?"
"Yes. I thought you did, too. You are the heir of the shadow wielders, aren't you?"
Tatiana Mallor looked at him, now completely perplexed. How did he know?
Monius Elysius continued to deteriorate, the lead poisoning becoming too harsh for his body to resists any longer. Sweat continued to drip off his face, and he wondered why he would wake up finally, only to die a slow, agonizing death.
“You know him?” asked Tatiana to the creature they had come to refer as Blok.
“Indeed. Monius Elysius, one of the heroes of legend. As impressive on the battlefield as Achilles, as cunning as Odysseus, and as noble as Cincinnatus. The Roman’s always included one of their own when reciting heroes of legend.”
“Romans? But—nevermind. How old are you, Blok?”
“Old enough,” replied the large creature made of Earth, as he suddenly moved forward, closer to the dying Roman. He was massive, and dwarfed the young Tatiana Mallor, who stepped back suddenly. “You appear very interested in this young man, heir of the shadow wielders.”
“I…I can tell he has a bravery rarely seen these days. And that is the second time you’ve referred to my heritage. Apparently, you know a great deal.”
“Indeed,” replied Blok, as he now leaned forward to Monius Elysius. “Monius,” he whispered, in flawless ancient Latin. “It is not your time yet. You have been awakened because it is your destiny. This era will need you.” The Roman looked up at him, and for the first time, stopped moaning in pain. He nodded at Blok.
“You speak Latin?” asked Tatiana.
“There is hardly a language born on this planet that I do not speak,” replied Blok.
“That may help us more than you realize…” she though to her self, as she turned to the dying Roman. He was now looking at her, the pain as strong as ever. She picked up his hand and held it. Blok stood up, and began to walk out of the room.
“Where are you going?” asked Tatiana suddenly. Blok said nothing.
------------------------------
“AAAAAARGH!”
The screams were getting louder, and to the point where they were almost unbearable. Monius Elysius was dying in the next room, after he’d saved her life. Dying after somehow surviving for two millennium, if the Blok was to be believed. Dying like her father had done days earlier.
“Jacquie…I know this is difficult,” said Maziah, “but don’t shut the pain out. We can get through this. Together”. Maziah was her oldest and best friend, even though they’d only just met face to face for the first time. In just a short span of a few days, things had changed so drastically. This strange band of teenagers, half of who she had never heard of, hiding away in England. Sara had claimed the Emerald Eye as her own, ensuring that centuries of her families work was for nothing. The Emerald Empress was a living, breathing enemy, and her heritage of an ages old promise to stop such an event was crumbling around her.
The Emerald Empress. Sara Romanescue. Jacquie had watched her for years, and she still could not stop her from killing her father. The Emerald Empress. It was her duty to stop her.
-------------------------------
The Emerald Empress flew through the clouds, allowing the Eye to guide her. Information was flooding her brain, as the Eye opened her memory up to centuries of history that had been denied to her. Her heirs, the clan of Romanescue, were of an Ancient Bloodline that once thrived throughout the Middle Ages. Feared throughout West and East, because of their ferocity and because of their ultimate power: the Emerald Eye of Ekron.
Why had history forgotten her family? What had been done to keep the Clan of Romanescue under the miserable heel of Projectra’s family?
Now was the time to rebuild what should rightfully have been hers.
Venegar.
--------------------------------
Dirk Morgna watched as the creature known as Blok appeared to be meditating. Turning, he saw Jacquie and Maziah whispering to each other, and once more did not want to butt in. What was he doing here?
The girls, he admitted, were stunningly beautiful, and partially the reason he came on this adventure. The Princess was incredible, and unlike anyone he had ever met. Maziah, Arabic but with red hair, was equally as stunning, with a quiet beauty that he had never quite seen before. Tatiana was beautiful too, with her long flowing raven-colored hair.
Right Dirk, he thought to himself. Keep telling yourself its because of the girls that you’re here. Maybe you might actually convince yourself for a second.
The creature known as Blok rose, and without a word, walked past Dirk into the room housing the super-powered Roman Legionnaire. As he passed, Dirk noticed what looked like a large turnip on his chest.
Who the hell are these people?
-----------------------------------
Blok reentered the room, to see Tatiana still holding Monius’ hand. She looked almost as exhausted as he was. Blok stepped forward, and ripped the vegetation off of his chest, handing it to Tatiana.
“Blok? Is this…do you want me to feed this to Mon-El?
“Yes,” he replied, as he leaned forward to the Roman. “Eat what she gives to you brave one. You’ve wandered far enough.”
Hours later, Tatiana emerged to see Blok overlooking the caves that they could see from her manor.
“I don’t know what you gave to me, but it’s worked,” she said enthusiastically, despite her exhaustion. “He’s stopped dying.”
Blok nodded to her slightly.
“What you did Blok…I swear, it gives me hope.”
“What you did Tatiana, and the compassion you showed…that gives me hope. Because in the coming days, we will need it.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Emerald Empress landed loudly in the dessert, blasting away sand for the sheer thrill of using the power the Eye had bestowed upon her. It was amazing at what she could do, and all of the energy she can feel crackling through her veins. And the knowledge! Each few hours she could feel more knowledge being downloaded into her memories, and more pieces of a much larger puzzle coming into play. She wished it was so scattered, and the Eye could just give it all to her, but she didn’t believe it was independent enough to pick and choose what she was allowed to see.
The recreation of Venegar was the ultimate goal; that she knew. But she had much unfinished business to attend to. The Royal Family of Moldavia was destroyed by her hand, except for one: Princess Jacqueline Projectra who had infiltrated their circle of friends with the intentions of holding her back, as her family had done to the Clan of Romanescue for centuries. This was unacceptable. Indeed—they were most likely all in on it! Those awful girls…let them have their own group…she didn’t care if she was an outsider any longer.
Most importantly, however, she needed to learn why the Eye was reawakened to begin with? She knew something must have happened, and she needed to know why—although for some reason, whenever she planned on pursuing this, the Eye continued to give her more information on other things that needed to be done.
No matter, she had a name. Mordru. She would find the man known as Mordru.
------------------------------------
“Feeling better, Moinus Elysius?” asked Blok, standing in front of the recovering Roman.
“Yes, much better. Whatever you gave to me creature, it did its job. I feel as good as I felt before the lead poisoning…all those years ago…”
“It must be hard to comprehend, I’m sure. And the others have taken to calling me Blok, which you may call me too.”
“Alright then, Blok. It seems they have taken to calling me Mon-El, which will suffice. The life I knew as Monius Elysius apparently is long past. Two thousand years…that seems to be such a great period of time. The cave that the Persians placed me in truly did have the powers that they spoke of.”
“Indeed it did. And you are here now, Mon-El, and I believe that is for a purpose.”
“You know much Blok. Much more than you are speaking of. Who are these women that we are traveling with? What do they have to do with the Eye, of all things? Surely in two thousand years, the Emerald Eye of Ekron would be long destroyed?”
“I assure you, it has not. And the girls are the brightest there is to offer of this era. One of them will be of interest to you, since you know her father—the third of three, besides you and I, to remember a bygone era.”
“Another?”
“Yes. Mordru.”
----------------------------------
Maziah sat in quiet contemplation, trying to focus on the recent turn of events. However, it was far too difficult for her. Her thoughts were on Nura, her sister. She left so suddenly, almost abandoning her. Hopefully Nura was alright and she really did find the Legion they were searching for. She hoped the Legion treated her well enough and were not mean to her. She stole a quick smile—Nura, she knew, could take care of herself. She was always the more fragile one.
“Maziah?” said Tatiana suddenly, who appeared in the doorway. Maziah’s face lit up.
“Tatiana,” she smiled. “All of this confusion and craziness, it’s still such a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Thank you for allowing us to stay here,”
“My pleasure,” she replied with her crisp posh English accent. “I cannot tell you how surprised I was to see you and Jacquie arrive at my door, and with the passengers you brought. Surprised, and absolutely delighted,” she added, seeing Maziah’s face grow concerned for a moment. “To believe, others with abilities like ours? This ‘Legion’ is all over the news, but here in Britain! And Mon-El and Blok…”
“Yes, it is amazing that we all found each other….”
“I simply figured that you and Jacquie could not pass up picking up a stud like Dirk,” Tatiana grinned.
Maziah flushed. “It was all so fast…”
“I know. I think you can help me though. Up until now, none of us have been able to understand Mon-El at all, save Blok, who apparently speaks all languages. Not to mention that Jacquie, you, myself and Dirk all have our own accents.”
“You want me to cast a spell?”
“Exactly.”
“Ah, I see! A spell of similarity on Blok’s ability to communicate with everyone. This way we can all understand each other better. Very brilliant, Tatiana. Even if your motives are slightly suspect.”
It was Tatiana’s turn to blush.
----------------------------------
“Look at this,” said Dirk, pointing to the television. “It’s a report on the Legion, and the reaction of the international community. Interesting…you know, I bet we could be—Jacquie?”
The Princess turned suddenly. “Oh, I’m sorry Dirk, my mind was just wandering again.”
“I know it must be hard, Jacquie. But we’ve been sitting around for a few days now, idly doing nothing. Maybe its time we, you know, tracked the green woman, or did something.”
“Dirk…why are you bringing this up to me?” replied Jacquie, slightly taken aback by his being so forward.
“Because, you’re a Princess, aren’t you? Haven’t you been brought up with the intentions of being able to lead? Because, to be honest, right now we kinda need some sort of leader around here.”
The Princess looked, at him, and then away, not really looking at anything at all.
-----------------------------------
Maziah sat cross-legged, face to face with Blok, who also sat cross-legged. Around them was a circle of candles, and a rare eastern incense burned in the air.
“Thank you Blok, for agreeing to this,” she said.
“It is no trouble. I was curious to watch you work a spell myself anyway. Will you be able to converse while you do this spell?”
“For this one, yes. I am very adept at using magic, although I still have some ways to go.”
“To one day use magic on par with your father?”
“Y-You know of my father?”
“Yes, I do Maziah Al-Nayal. But I also know you’ve run from him, and that you do not wish to follow in his footsteps.”
“I have become a mage like his is,” she replied.
“I think you know that is not what I meant. Your father has plans for this world, and I believe you wish to stand against him. You do not need to answer.”
Silence came over the room, and Maziah continued to enact her spell, magic emanating from her and flowing into the other rooms around the others.
“How do you know so much about my father, Blok? And Mon-El?”
“I have lived a long life. I will help you Maziah. I will help you do what you need to do against your father.”
She stared at him hard and long, a surge of aggression coming through her—very unlike her more reserved nature. Slowly, he smiled at her; the first time she had seen him make a facial expression. And the warmth he was showing her began to spread.
“You’re an enigma, Blok. But you make me feel safe.”
And with that, the spell was complete.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Previously in the 21st Century Legion
quote:Originally posted by LoneWolfLondo: Circling his opponent, Hasim finally locked on the other man's fighting style. His "Nemesis" power kicked in, and he felt himself grow that much stronger, that much faster, that much better at anticipating moves. The other man was bigger, but that was no longer an asset. Easily ducking a punch that would have connected moments ago, he moved in and hit the man square in the stomach. Doubled over, the man grunted in suprise; the kid hadn't seemed so tough before. A sharp blow to the nose brought the man's hands up again. Another hit to the stomach finished him.
The crowd roared their approval.
Maybe it was only a street fight in a back alley of Rome, but every fight gave Hasim more experience at using his nemesis power. He had fought his way across eastern Europe without losing a match. The crowd quickly dispersed as they always did, but the arranger stayed to pay Hasim his cut of the bets. He didn't need the money; father's insurance settlement had paid off well. And if he closed his eyes, he could still see the look on father's face as he... But never mind, back to the task at hand. Each fight helped him master his talents, and brought him that much closer to his goal. They were a Legion, he an army of one. He would perfect the powers granted him by Tisiphone and Nemesis, prove to the Legion what a valuable asset he could be, and join them. United, he had no power against them, but one by one, eliminated from within...Hasim just smiled his dark, cruel smile and savored the thought.
The Mallor Manor
Jacquie searched the news stations, hoping for some type of glimpse of Sara, which was to no avail. She looked over to see Tatiana and Dirk online, going through various websites, message boards and chats on the off-chance that any type of news could be found. She smiled and thought about their earlier ‘meeting’.
The six of them had all stood in a circle, Mon-El fully able to walk around. It was the first time all six of them would be speaking together at the same time, oddly enough. Princess Jacquie smiled wryly, saying “Well, we thank you Blok, for allowing us to understand one another so easily. And you Mysa.” And then without hesitation, she told them that something needed to be done about the Emerald Empress, Sara of Romanescue, and that she planned on taking action and being the one to do it. Before she could finish, it was evident that each one of the other five had every intention of helping her in her mission.
Now the three of them searched the various means available to them (if only they had some type of super-computer like in movies or books), while Maziah did her own search. She looked over to see her friend, whose physically presence she had already grown accustomed to, and saw her deep in meditation, attempting whatever spells she could to locate Sara.
She suddenly wondered how Irma and Nura were doing, and why the telepathic contact with them had stopped so suddenly. Was it because Irma was preoccupied with other things, or was their other forces at work here? She smiled at her own paranoia…the way Blok talked, it seemed that the very future of the world was at stake in the quiet battle they waged.
She did wonder how Blok and Mon-El were doing…
-----------------------------------
Rome
Mon-El walked down the streets of Rome, entirely all too uncomfortable with the clothing that he had on. Tatiana had an extra pair of ‘blue jeans’ (an odd name) and a tight-fitting ‘t-shirt’ (equally as odd), with a more ingenious pair of footwear, boots (ah, so they did make progress in two thousand years). He preferred to wear his leather breastplate armor, but was told he would not fit in with everyone else, in this armor-less age. He kept it anyway, at Tatiana’s manor. It was the notion of having to wear these pants that he would have to get used to. Tatiana even told him that even if he could wear the armor, he’d still have to wear pants under it.
Tatiana. She made him smile. He couldn’t help but feel grateful to her for staying with him while he was sick. And she was stunningly beautiful.
“She is too young for you, my friend,” said Blok suddenly, appearing out of the Earth in an alleyway.
“Who is?” replied Mon-El.
“Tatiana. I know what you’re thinking.”
“So now you read minds too, Blok? I wonder how much more cryptic you will be tomorrow,” Mon-El smiled. To be honest, having Blok around was the best thing he could have ever hoped for in dealing with all he had to accept.
Hours earlier, after their brief little ‘meeting’, Mon-El informed the that he needed to see Rome, to see if the Golden City still stood. They all seemed taken aback, but he was firm in doing this…it had been far too long since he had seen the center of the world. Blok prepared him for what he was to see, and it truly was the shock that they had told him it would be.
So much beauty lost. So much of its personality different and washed away. From up high, though, he could still see some of former beauty of Rome, much of it now ruins. After thinking about it for awhile, two thousand years was an incredible amount of time for there to still be remnants of the greatest empire that ever was…so perhaps this was a tribute to all that Rome was. Blok told him it went much deeper than that—society still owed much of its progress to Rome, even this very day. And much of its ills, he added, but Mon-El didn’t feel like pursuing that comment.
“I can fly here at top-speed, even if I have to get used to learning where everything in the Empire is once again. But your ability to travel through the Earth is incredibly impressive. Can you travel anywhere you wish?”
“Almost,” replied the large being.
“I am glad to have you with me then,” replied Mon-El.
They began to explore the city, Blok doing his best to keep to the shadows.
Mon-El walked by another side-road, avoiding the horrendous traffic. He noticed there were no lights and it was almost purposely dark. Immediately, his super-hearing picked up footsteps on either side of him. Without a moments hesitation, he turned and saw three attackers approaching him, two in front, one in back, obviously trying to rob him of his valuables.
He was on the two faster than anything they’d ever seen. One punch, and one attacker was sent through the wall on their side, and another punch sent the other attacker well over 20 feet into the air, Mon-El not caring where he landed. He was on the third before the attacker could even process what was happening. The man fell to his knees, and Mon raised his hand as if to crush the attacker’s skull—
“Stop! Mon-El, you must stop this at once!” yelled Blok loudly.
“Wha--?!” replied Mon-El, shocked. “Blok, these men attacked me—surely for that, their lives are forfeit. This cannot be allowed, attacks in the street. It must be dealt with severely…”
“No, Mon-El, it cannot. Much has changed since the days of Ancient Rome. Death is not dealt so easily in some places anymore, and given your distinct advantage over them, this would be quite similar to murder. I ask you, please, reconsider your wrath.”
Mon-El hesitated. “This era…will take some time to get used to…” he said to himself absently, letting the man go, as he ran away with tears streaming down his face and his courage running down his legs. “But I believe in justice and honor, which may now be understood differently. I have much to think about.”
Quietly, Mon-El walked away, as Blok watched on.
In the shadows, another figure watched the entire exchange. Hasim Diyarbakir looked on, both shocked and in awe of what he just witnessed. For months he had beaten every challenger that stepped up to fight him from across Eastern Europe to Rome. If one beng could possibly hope to beat his Nemesis powers, it must be this individual, whose raw power is like nothing he’d ever seen of before. Yes, this ‘Mon-El’ will be his greatest test.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Saudia Arabia
“Almost there,” thought the Emerald Empress to herself. “To where Mordru is, according to the Eye.” A sudden burst of energy knocked her to her feet, taking the wind out of her. “The Eye is somehow telling me not to go…I know it…how can that be? I am its master! Take me to this ‘Mordru’!
Once more, the Emerald Empress rose in the air, on the way to Yemen, the home of the arch-mage known as Mordru.
--------------------------------------
Rome
Mon-El sat and drank an expresso, marveling at the potent effects it was having on him. “I can actually feel my heartbeat speeding up…” he thought, “even on my advanced physiology. Obviously, lack of contact with these modern items have made me more vulnerable to them. Which should prove interesting in balance with my ‘abilities’.” He sipped again, enjoying it.
“I already do not like this era. Those men should have been mine to do with what I see fit after assaulting me for no reason. If I had my gladius, I would have ended it for all three—as it was, their lucky I left my weapons in that cave. But Blok has not led me wrong yet, and I feel he may be my best hope for starting a new life here. I will heed his call for stopping the casual dealing of death, no matter if they deserve it or not. But I will adhere to the old Roman customs that I have always believed in.”
“You. Your name is Mon-El,” he suddenly heard, seeing a young man standing in front of him. There was something strange about him…he was obviously excited and tense. Mon had seen it enough on the battlefield: this boy was ready for a battle.
“It is.”
“My name is Hasim Diyarbakir. I watched you man-handle those men back there. It was magnificent. You may be the greatest fighter I’ve ever seen. However, I believe I can best you.”
“You’d wish to duel, then?” said Mon-El. “I advise against it, ah, Hasim, you said?”
“You can call me Nemesis. And I believe I can beat any opponent.”
Mon-El stood up, ready for a battle. But he suddenly stopped. “No, I have no use for pointless fighting. This will serve nothing, and I don’t care who would win.”
“Then you have no choice,” said Nemesis, as he leaped forward, punching Mon-El across the face.
-----------------------------------------
Mallor Manor
“Nothing,” said Jacquie, flipping the television off.
“Nothing here either,” said Dirk. “Its no use Jacq, I don’t know what we can do.”
“If only we could find some way to use the mental link that Irma has with us to track down where Sara is,” said Tatiana.
“That’s what Maziah is trying to do now,” said Jacquie quietly. “I apologize for how frustrating this is.”
“There’s nothing you can do, Jacquie,” said Dirk, putting his arm around her shoulders. The sudden closeness of him seemed to surprise her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about this. He noticed the awkwardness.
“I”VE FOUND HER!” yelled Maziah all of a sudden, completely exhausted! “No, no, no…” she looked terrified, her eyes wide with tears forming. “Not there…” she whispered.
“What is it, Maziah?!” said Jacquie grabbing her, “where is she?”
“She’s going to Yemen…to find my father I think…”
“Oh no,” said Jacquie.
“Her father? Whose her father? Why’s that bad?” said Dirk, rifling questions. “What the hell is going on now?!”
“Maziah, listen to me,” said Jacquie, “I need you to teleport us to where Sara is right now. Can you do that spell? I know you have it in you.”
“I…I…it will take so much out of me, but…”
“Maziah, if we stop her before she gets there, she won’t find your father,” said Jacquie firmly.
“I’ll do it,” she replied.
Behind them, Tatiana had picked up her cell phone and was dialing. “Who are you calling?” asked Dirk, trying to figure out what was going on.
-------------------------------------------------
Rome
Nemesis landed another viscous punch across Mon’s face, to the Roman’s utter shock. How in the world did he keep landing such impossible punches, when Mon’s quickness and invulnerability should have made this fight a non-issue? Mon took the full brunt, but managed to get a punch of his own into Nemesis’ chest, knocking him backwards.
Impossible. The boy should have fallen to the ground from that blow. Nemesis stood up, and the two squared off again. Mon noticed Blok had arisen out of the Earth and was watching intently, as Nemesis landed a sweeping kick and knocked him to the ground, leaping on top of him. Mon used the force to send Nemesis over his shoulders, further away.
Suddenly, the cell phone in his pocket began to ring and vibrate. Tatiana had put it there, and had had explained to him what to do if this should happen. Still, this new technology was like nothing he’d ever seen, and he was in the middle of a fight. An image of Tatiana in need of him, hurt or worse, flashed through his eyes. She would not be calling for no reason. He rose ten feet into the air and turned it on.
Nemesis and Blok looked on from the ground, as Mon fumbled with the phone, finally turning it on. Her voice was extra loud over the phone: “Mon, we need you, and we need you quickly! You have to get to the Empress! She’s approaching Yemen…oh God, do you even know where that is? On the tip of the Arabian Pennisula, south of Saudia Arabia, its…Mon, do you think you’ll make it?”
“I’ll find you, and I’ll find the Empress. I’ll see you there Tatiana,” he said closing the phone. “Blok…,” but Blok was already going back into the Earth, no doubt leaving them to go to the Empress.
Mon flew down and grabbed Nemesis with one arm under his shoulder blade, flying off with him. “Where are you taking me?!” asked Nemesis, shocked and suddenly scared.
“You owe me an explanation. And an apology. And I’m going to get it. Whether I have to beat it out of you, or take it in the form of an ally to help us. We’re going to Yemen…wherever the hell that is.”
“I’ll take you there,” said Nemesis, suddenly curious to where this journey was taking him.
[ September 21, 2005, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Previously in The 21st Century Legion:
quote:Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester: At an army installation outside of Seoul, Ten Zil Kim awoke hungry. He was the child of a Korean army officer and an American nurse. His father worked in a top secret biological warfare lab funded by the Americans. Little did Ten's father know that weaknesses in the safety procedures of the lab had exposed him to a dangerous strain of microbes that was currently destroying his digestive system, and was having an even more unexpected impact on the metabolism and digestive systems of his two teenage sons...
The sound-barrier continued to break in their wake, and things moved far too fast for Nemesis to have any idea what was happening, where they were going and how fast they were going? 200 miles an hour? No, far faster. 500? Who could tell? Who was Mon-El and how strong was he? What had he gotten into?
Mon-El reached Asia in what seemed like minutes, leaving Rome and Europe behind. Through what he once knew as Antioch and into the Eastern world. Nemesis’s knowledge of his home country of Turkey and the surrounding areas had done a fair enough job to let him know where Yemen was.
This was by far the fastest he had ever flown. He had never cut this loose before.
He saw her. He cocked his fist, and…
BOOM!!!
The punch landed before she knew what hit her, and by rights should have taken off her skull, and sent it around the circumference of the world ten times over. But the Eye must have held some physical protection over her too.
They were still moving at a top speed, and there was no stopping that kind of velocity now. Mon-El simply grabbed a hold of the Empress, and pushed even harder.
She had no idea what was happening, and she was dazed beyond all belief. She felt the Emerald Eye rush energy into her, saving her life, for she surely should have been dead.
Nemesis could no longer stand it. They were moving so fast, he wondered how he was still holding on, unable to realize that Mon-El still had one had on his waist.
Past Yemen, over the Arabian Sea. Kilometers. Thousands of kilometers. Through the Bay of Bengal. Indescribable velocity. Finally, they began to descend. The Emerald Empress fought to regain her senses, the bruise on her face swelling despite the Eye’s best efforts and the man clutching her shoulders. A forest below?
BOOM!!!
---------------------------------
New York City, de facto headquarters of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Nura had quite enough.
There was a lot going, she knew. And getting this outfit together must be a task that weighed beyond heavily on Gene and Cos.
Nura bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal needed to know her sister Maziah was safe, and if that meant over-stepping her bounds with the Legion leader, whichever of the two he might have been, then so be it.
“Lyle, a word if you please,” she said to Invisible Kid, catching him when he was alone, as rare as that might be. She liked Invisible Kid a great deal for a variety of reasons: he was incredibly smart; she had noticed that he also quietly would over-step his bounds and act in the role as leader if need be; and he was one of the few males that she had not caught staring at her when they thought she was not looking—something that maybe one day she would use to her advantage.
“Nura, what can I do for you,” he asked.
She told him.
“And Gene’s reaction, I’m sure, was as can be expected,” he added after she finished.
“Of course. We do not have a plane to spare, and even if one day we have all types of technology to help us, we currently do not, so there is no way I could get a group of Legionnaires across the ocean to investigate. I do not think he takes me seriously because of my power.”
“Hm…why come to me?”
“Because I know some of the…’sneakier’ Legionnaires look up to you. Maybe you can help me arrange a small group, to investigate.”
“But how can they get there?”
“Jenni can run across water, can she not?”
“Nura…that’s a long way away…and where would we know where to start? Who would go? Jenni can’t carry people on her backs, you know?”
“I know. She would only need to carry one full person. As to where to start…I had a dream last night…”
------------------------------
Somewhere Outside of Seoul, South Korea
Two armed soldiers stand guard outside of a small hut, somewhere along the forests. They are hidden among the brush of a forest somewhere outside of Seoul, in South Korea. These soldiers, however, are North Korean.
“If the father fared as terribly as he did, what chance does the boy have?” asked one soldier to the other, a sense of genuine distraught in his voice.
“I’m certain that he has none. Not with who he is dealing with.”
“Gaining the abilities of the father is one thing, but crossing the borders into South Korea to torture a little boy? I do not think this is such a good idea…”
“Quiet. We have no choice in the matter. The boy will talk—and he’s hardly a boy. He is fifteen years of age. Not that it matters to him.”
“I hope he does not use his axe again. What it does to them…”
“Your nervousness is beginning to effect me now Goh. Please stop. The boy will be persuaded, as his torturers name-sake informs us he will. He is young and most likely has no idea at all what this is about. His father somehow began dying because of a radioactive wound in his digestive system that might be the scientific find of the decade, and we needed to learn why. He did not speak, so he was killed. Now his son will face the man who murdered his father, the most famous and heinous torturer that North Korea has ever known. The Persuader.”
----------------------------
In the hut, a small opening in the ground revealed a pit below, chiseled out of the caverns, edgy with rock and dirk. Six feet deep, the final three feet were filled with disgusting water, rotten by the bacteria that lived within.
A fifteen year old boy, chained by his two arms, hung waist deep in the water. He was in tatters, and he was starving. Ten Zil Kim wondered how in the world he ended up here, and why he was going to die. He knew his father must be dead.
His mother and his little brother Ren, who shared the same secret ability he did, had left South Korea two days earlier on a boat to Japan. He and his dying father would follow suit, since his father was unable to leave his bed that morning. But then they came. And he had been left here for two days, while they tried to learn the secrets to the problems his father faced. They did not yet realize he had his own unique abilities, which his father said were the opposite of his own.
He heard footsteps suddenly, and a door shut.
Someone was here.
[ September 22, 2005, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
South Korea
“He denied me, your father. He denied me what I wanted.”
Ten Zil Kim was shaking with fear, and he had no way of stopping. Waste-deep in bacteria ridden water, starving, in tattered rags and exhausted. And without his will driving it, his body was literally shaking and he had no way of stopping it. He was scared worse than he’d ever been in his life. Worse than when he realized his father was going to die.
“Open your eyes boy. I want you to see me.”
The fifteen year old boy did not open his eyes. Fear caused sweat to run down his forehead, despite the chilly feeling in his bones. His stomach, long ago losing the physiology that gave it indigestion or aches, was churning.
“Your father died on me before I could properly use my skills. Before I could ‘persuade’ them, as they like to say about me.”
Ten Zil opened up his eyes, and looked up the six foot hole. Above him, he saw a massive man, muscular with sinewy arms, with scars all over his bare shirt and chest. His face was covered in an iron mask, which reminded the boy of cartoons of a some executioner about to kill a prisoner by beheading him.
“I will not let you deny me that pleasure again.”
“N-N-NOOOO!” screamed Ten Zil, uttering the first words he had in days. “ST-STOP!!” The Persuader snickered, and reached into the pit, grabbing the chains that were holding him. He began pulling him upwards.
“The secret that your father uncovered. The radiation. I want to know what it is. He must have told you. Whatever it is that was killing him…he must have told you it. We want it.”
“I-I-I don’t know it,” said Tenzil, as the came ever closer to the Persuader. “I don’t know,” Ten Zil lied as he felt his body finally come out of the murky water he was in. He saw leaches on his legs.
“I used my axe to cut him up. I want you to see what he did to my axe.”
Fresh tears began to run down Ten Zil’s eyes, and he felt the salty-ness of them stinging his dirty, unwashed face. The Persuader lifted him out of the hole, so high that he was face to face with him. He backhanded him across the face, and Ten Zil went flying across the room.
The Persuader lifted up an axe from the corner, it’s blade twinkling in the light. No, not the light. It was omitting some type of…radioactive energy? Ten Zil had seen it before…was—does this have something to do with his father.
“If I had known slicing your father up would give me this present, I would have used a dozen more axes.”
Ten Zil crouched together and closed his eyes.
“Come boy. I’ll give you a fighting chance.” Underneath that mask, he knew the Persuader was smiling.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, completely out of nowhere, the ground erupted in what felt like a tremendous earthquake! The entire hut itself blew completely off its foundation, and Ten Zil saw the Persuader get ripped up in the wind, and go flying. The chains held, and Ten Zil remained, being pulled by the wind, while the chains pulled his body back in the other direction—literally stretching and ripping him apart.
The wind stopped suddenly, and the damage was everywhere. He could hear more pounding. Then he saw it. Not twenty feet ahead, he could see green energy being fired, while a figure moved around so quickly it looked like a blur.
He looked at the chains, and knew what to do. They were a form of matter, and he could eat through all matter. While the radioactivity destroyed his father from within, it had the opposite effect on Ten Zil and his brother. He began to munch on the chains, ripping them apart with his teeth. He tasted nothing, his sense of taste replaced by a digestive acid that burned the metal into edible substance.
One chain broke.
He kept eating.
Another.
Ten Zil ran, and fell, not realizing how diminished his body was. He needed to eat more. He was starving. Then he saw a gun up ahead, a M-16 from one of the soldiers standing guard as the Persuader prepared to torture him and kill him. Those bastards. They killed his father. They were going to kill him.
He picked up the M-16. He had no clue what was going on. He knew there needed to be justice though.
[ September 22, 2005, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Reboot on :
He knocked on the door.
"Lorna, can I come in?"
"Sure..."
Cos entered the room and saw Lorna, as a single figure, lying on her king-sized bed, on her back in a white Bugs Bunny T-shirt and blue jeans, with her eyes closed. He grabbed one of her chairs and pulled it up to the side of the bed.
"How're you feeling?"
Lorna twisted around to sit on the edge of the bed facing Cos, then leaned forward to rub her face with her hands and said "Tired," she let out a sigh, "just really tired Cos."
Cos paused for a moment. She'd been tired a lot of late. "Lorna, this isn't like you. You know it isn't. You really need to..."
Suddenly, Trinity split into three, and it was T-Purple that interrupted, "To let Irma into our head?"
"I was just going to say 'speak to someone about this. About what happened'. But where's this hostility to Irma come from? You trusted her before."
None of the three replied. She knew it wasn't rational. She knew - from experience - that she could trust Irma, but...
"She's worried about you Lorna. I'm worried about you. We all are."
"Even Mr. Big Shot First Lieutenant Marine Corps I-want-this-weakling-off-my-team Man?" Purple spat the words out.
"Even Gene." Cos kept his tone quiet and level, but this worried him. He thought Lorna and Gene had buried the hatchet a couple of months back when the three of them had sat down together and hashed out codenames for the team. This bitterness wasn't like her. Any of her.
"What, you're trying to tell me that he didn't use my getting kidnapped as an excuse for another try at booting me off the team? I got blindsided Cos - it could happen to anyone."
"Lorna, he wasn't trying to "boot you off" there. He wanted you to take some time off and get some trauma councelling. Like I do."
"Cos," it was Neutral who replied this time, "I'm fine. We're fine. Honest. We don't need some old fart in a white coat telling us our problems are all down to our parents. We're just a little bit more fragile than usual after what happened."
"Lorna, you don't even remember what happened. You can't honestly tell me that's a good thing. And I was the one who stopped your time off being mandatory. But if you're going to spend half the day hiding in your room and not get any help, I'm wondering if that was the right call."
Trinity looked at each other, thoughts racing between her heads.
"Anyway," Cos was still worried, but he needed to move on. This wasn't getting anywhere except to make her angry at him, and he didn't want that. "There were two things I came up to see you about and having a fight wasn't one of them. Are you going to the Hallowe'en party?"
Lorna took a mental vote. T-Orange got overruled. "Yeah. You?"
"I got roped into helping organise it," he made a face, "it's comic-book superhero-themed (Zoë's idea) and the Workforce are coming, so that made 26, and you're the last one I needed to know about."
"Remember to count me as three," T-Purple smirked.
"I wouldn't forget," Cos smiled back. "Have you decided on costumes yet? Zoë wants to know so that she can spend as much time as possible talking you out of unfashionable suits before she has to make them," he said with a broader grin.
"How did she know we have no sense of fashion?" Neutral smiled back.
Cos stuttered for a moment, trying to answer that, before realising, "There's no right answer to that one, is there?"
"Nope," all three Trinities laughed at his embarrasment, and even through it, Cos was glad to see her laughing. "No," she remerged and answered as the last giggles were subsiding, "no ideas at all yet."
"Did you see the site Lyle set up, with all the super-hero pictures to give everyone some ideas?"
"No, what's the address?" Cos gave her it, "I'll have a look around it then, see what there is. How good's Zoë with making them?"
"If she knew you'd asked that after seeing her, she'd kill you you realise?"
"Let her try," Lorna smiled, her mood much improved, "What was the other thing?"
"Get changed. A few of us are going jetskiing in..." he checked his watch "...half an hour, and you're coming with us."
"Huh?! Why, who's going, wha...?"
"You've been sitting up here too long. Lyle, Jaz, Zoë, Garth and me are going, and you're coming or else." He'd slipped a metal hook into the neck of her bathrobe, hanging on the back of her room door, as he came in, and now he used it to pull the bathrobe off its' peg, through the air and into his hands. He surreptitiously pulled the hook out and tossed the bathrobe at her. "Come on, I'll expect to see you in the lobby in twenty-five minutes and that is an order!" he smiled and walked out.
Lorna sat there in shock for a few moments, then hurried to the shower. «Cos...», she thought.
[ September 23, 2005, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Seoul
Out of thin air, the group of four magically appeared. Maziah instantly collapsed on the ground, totally exhausted in every sense of the word. Her body seems beyond dehydrated, and her head was pounding so hard she was sure something was swollen on the inside.
“Up there!” yelled Jacquie, still in full royal Moldavian garb, and rushing forward to where they saw green energy crackling, and a blur of moment that she was certain must have been Mon-El.
“Where the hell are we now?” Dirk said out loud to no one in particular, running ahead. This was getting ridiculous. He was tired of not knowing what was going on. He let his power start building in his hands and felt the intense heat emanating there. Up ahead, he saw Mon-El pounding on the Empress, knocking her backwards. She regrouped and rained raw emerald energy on Mon, knocking him farther away. Dirk couldn’t wait anymore. He fired everything he had at her.
Tatiana held Maziah. “Maziah, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“G-Go…help the others…I’ll be fine,” she replied.
Tatiana didn’t wait for a second time. She ran at full speed, glad to be only in jeans and a blouse, letting her raven colored hair ripple in the wind. She held a steel spear in her hands, poised for battle. She hadn’t let on to the others that she grabbed it off the wall in a moment that she now realized was just her trying to calm herself and stop from panicking. It seemed like the right idea to arm herself. She reached the opening.
Dirk fired upon the Emerald Empress with all that she had, and the flames seemed to consume her. But the Eye suddenly erected a thick energy barrier around her, and she blasted back with what looked like green lightning. She was bloody and bruised with purple blotches on her face. Mon had done some damage.
Mon-El was rising again, seemingly unphased by her blasts. Before he could move, another boy, Middle-Eastern possibly, leaped at the Empress, and was somehow able to penetrate her shield and fight her one on one.
Nemesis knew he’d be able to beat her in a one-on-one fight, and thus broke right through the shield. He had no idea that the Eye counted as its own separate entity in regards to his magically enchantment, and was caught completely off-guard as lightning rained down on him.
Blok grabbed the Empress, wrapping his arm around her throat, choking her out and bringing her close to him. He said nothing, and just stared at the Eye, waiting for what he knew was coming.
But the Eye was suddenly blinded, as Jacquie used her unique abilities and placed it under the illusion that Sara was long-dead, the last of the Romanescue’s gone, the line broken. It seemed close to penetrating that lie…
“Tatiana, use her darkness on it! Now!”
Tatiana didn’t wait. She blasted the darkness, letting it rip forth and engulf the Eye. “I’ve never cut loose like this,” she thought, letting the power flow forth, unaware that the pigment in her skin was beginning to change with it. She grew more and more pale, her skin whitening as she let forth the darkness.
Mon-El raced over to the Empress, preparing to render her unconscious while Blok held her still. And then suddenly, he felt cold steel press across his back, and was shocked that he actually felt his skin rip.
“AAAAAARGH!!” screamed the Persuader, rage burning at his eyes of the indignation of being tossed to casually aside. Whoever these people were, they were about to pay for it.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The teenagers turned to see this massive man suddenly bring Mon-El to his knees with one blow from his atomic axe. The realization of what had just happened set in, and immediately, all their nerves flared.
That was all the Eye needed. It was free.
The Empress used it to blast Blok with a focused beam of energy, knocking him backwards. She turned her attention on Dirk Morgna, blasting him backwards.
The Persuader charged Princess Jacquie, and panic set in, causing her to leap out of the way. Who the hell was this guy, and what was he doing? She regrouped and moved through the bushes—she had to get back to Sara. This was her battle, and she needed to be the one to end it. The Persuader turned the corner. He wasn’t going to allow that at all. She ran. He followed.
The Empress enjoyed the sudden feeling of victory, as she blasted Dirk Morgna and paid him back for burning her moments earlier. Blok and Nemesis too felt the full brunt of the Emerald Eye of Ekron, as did Mon-El, the one who would pay dearly for damaging her face. She poured it on.
“Enough.” As the Emerald Empress looked up, she saw Tatiana Mallor, standing before her. Tatiana’s shirt was torn around the stomach, revealing a lean and muscular stomach that had grown very pale in color. Her raven colored hair billowed in the wing. She held a spear in her hand, pointing it at the Empress, as if threatening to stab it into her eye. “You’ve hurt my friends enough Sara. You will stop now.”
The Empress laughed, although she could feel a slight hesitation in her stomach. How dare this girl be as arrogant as to act this brave in the face of certain death! She stopped firing her energy on the four at her feet. “Do what you must Tatiana.”
Tatiana had never used her shadow powers offensively before—all she knew she could do was blind people with them, and use the darkness to her advantage when being sneaky. But she knew in her heart they could do so much more. An ancestry of shadow-wielders…she just felt like there was so much to use them for... She blasted the shadows forward, directly at the Eye, engulfing it in darkness. The Empress laughed. Tatiana focused. She blasted again, this time piercing her own darkness, driving the force right into the Eye. She made it into the shape of the spear, using what she had in her hand as a way to focus her shadows.
“Aaargh! Witch! H-How dare you!” screamed the Empress, obviously in tremendous pain.
------------------------------
Jacquie ran at top speed and the Persuader followed suit, destroying all the brush in his way. To tell the truth, he had no idea why he was chasing her now, he just knew he wanted to focus all his rage on her. Whoever these people were, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He wanted her to suffer.
“Calm down!” she screamed at herself, “calm down and use your illusions! Trick him into going the other way!” Her own thoughts were thunderous. And then she turned the corner, running into a rocky area, and tripped over her feet.
The Persuader turned the corner, and a hailstorm of bullets fired at the Persuader, catching him off-guard, and causing him to fall backward. A bullet pierced his shoulder, and another one through his left leg. Ten Zil Kem stood before them, an M-16 in his hands, Maziah by his side, holding onto the tree.
He screamed in Korean at the man, “you will pay for what you’ve done! You’re terror stops today, Persuader!” More bullets poured out, as Jacque crawled to the side, to Maziah. The Persuader, fearing certain death, swung his axe as quickly as he could, slicing the gun in two pieces. The bullets slowed him down though, he could barely walk. He crept forward, looking to kill these three pups.
Jacquie used her illusions to convince him they weren’t there. To show him another path, where they were running. He kept moving, slowly, swinging his atomic axe. Ten Zil, Jacquie and Maziah moved backwards, aware that they were running out of room.
------------------------------------
Mon-El couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She was a goddess. A warrior-born. She was an Amazon.
Tatiana continued to fire at the Eye, knocking the Empress off-guard. Fatigue set in on the Empress. She had endured quite a bit up until right now.
Mon-El stood up, blood pouring down his back. He ripped his shirt off and stood by Tatiana, preparing to join her. “Help Jacquie Mon! That man with the axe! He’s gone after her! Please, I’ve got it here!”
Mon didn’t want to leave, but knew he must. He flew away at top speed. Nemesis, Dirk and Blok all regrouped now. “Alright!” said Nemesis, “it’s our turn!”
“Damn right it is,” said Dirk, letting fire build in his palms.
“Wait Dirk!” said Blok, “not fire! Yours is the power of the sun! Don’t let the fire seduce you, you can do so much more. We don’t need you firing on the Empress now; we need you misdirecting the Eye. Use the sunlight to block its line of sight. Darkness and sunglight used together—yes, this may be the way to beat the Eye.”
“Ok,” said Dirk, firing his sunlight around the Eye, so that it reflected in different ways. Nemesis leaped at the Empress, not giving anyone any time to give him instructions. The Empress was faltering. “C’mon, Blok!” yelled Nemesis.
Blok did not join him. He walked over to Tatiana. “That’s it Tati…keep firing upon her. You’re beating her. You can do this.” The strain was unbearable, and Tatiana was gritting her teeth hard. Her skin was now completely white. So white, in fact, that it was almost turning blue. “Be strong, child…” he whispered in her ears.
“ENOUGH!” screamed the Empress, falling to her feet. She let loose one rip of power, knocking everyone back. She was on the verge of passing out. Slowly, she rose into the air, it now evident that the Eye had taken direct control. It placed a shield over her, and began to fly away.
----------------------------------
The Persuader inched forward, one step at a time, swinging his axe. Jacquie, Maziah and Ten Zil crouched together, now completely out of room and up against a rocky cliff basin, trying to figure out what to do next. Jacquie used new illusions of death and war, of everything she could think of. Maziah concentrated on a new spell.
Finally, a familiar figure appeared. Mon flew in, landing in front of them, so they could see the blood running down his back. He said nothing. And then, from his eyes, he let forth a beam of pure heat, red and raw. It blasted the Persuader right into his helmut, all over his face, knocking him so hard, that he not only stopped, but turned away in pain.
“No more, beast! Whoever you are, your day is done! You’ll harm no one!”
The Persuader could not hear the screams. He was in immeasurable pain. His helmut had welded itself onto his skin, and the burning hot iron seared his flesh with every second. He dropped to one knee.
Suddenly, emerald energy rippled forth. The Eye appeared, with an unconscious Empress in two. It pulled the Persuader forward, encasing him in healing emerald energy, and pulled him away. The Persuader too passed out, and suddenly, the Eye, the Empress and the Persuader were gone.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
--Interlude--
Japan
“They are here, in Japan, and this is an opportunity that we cannot allow to pass us by.”
The aging man said nothing, but nodded, allowing his comrades to continue.
“We have waited our entire lives, built upon the lives of all those in our circle that lived generations before us, on the hope that one day progress would be made and the secret history would once more come into the light.”
“Don’t speak so vaguely, brother,” said the man finally, cutting his friend off. “Two girls so immersed in our history are in Japan together, and one other girl, Sara Romenscue, was with them previously. The Emerald Eye of Ekron exists once more. But most importantly Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal has escaped from her father’s sight. These two events confirm that our shared beliefs are true and that our faith has born fruit.”
“Precisely, brother,” replied the other hooded figure, and they all nodded in agreement.
“Now, after long centuries, the Dark Circle can act.”
--end Interlude--
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Japan
Things had moved fast, and what seemed like brief moments was actually days, and was turning into weeks.
Jacquie overlooked the beautiful harbor, still trying to let all of what happened settle in her mind. Following the battle, there was absolutely no sign of the Emerald Empress or the Persuader, despite Mon-El and Blok checking the area very thoroughly.
She had wanted to be the one to take down Sara so bad…it was her duty as a member of the Moldavian Royal Family to stop the Romanescues. And Sara had killed her father…
She let a tear fall down her cheek. And she remembered what Dirk said to her. “Its not about vengeance anymore, Jacquie. You have to let it go, and you have to start now. Embrace the fact that your father is dead and remember him. But stop carrying this vengeance with you. We all defeated her together, which is as it should be. This ‘group’ we’ve created, with whatever purpose we’re supposed to have, is beyond anyone one of us. It’s about all of us. I told you we need some semblance of a leader. I hope you’re up for the challenge.”
His words stung, and she hadn’t talked to him since. He felt bad, she knew, but she was mad at him. Mad at him for being so right.
They decided to go to Japan, to accompany Ten Zil Kim to find his brother and mother. The poor boy. Landing on Seoul did one thing important thing above all else in saving his life and stopping that animal the Persuader from torturing him. He had been through so much, and only this morning did it seem as if he was finally starting to relax. The came here to help him find the rest of his family, but so far it had been to no avail. Tatiana already told him they could travel with him if need be, and Jacquie expected him to, since she knew it would be impossible to find his family here, if they even were here.
What were they doing anyway, gathering such a motley crew of teenagers and strange people, traveling around Asia and Europe? Did they have a purpose? She had thought it was the Emerald Empress, but now she felt like there was more. “Don’t kid yourself Jacquie,” she thought, “you know exactly what it is. Maziah’s father. Mordru.”
Hasim suddenly was next to her.
“A little cold out here tonight, isn’t it?” he said quietly. Hasim was someone Mon-El met in Rome of all places and ended up with them. Mon had not given them any reason why, and neither had Hasim. The boy definitely felt distant, moreso than the rest, and there was something about him that was untrustworthy. But he was dangerous, and that might not be such a bad thing. Despite herself, Jacquie liked him a little.
“A little, but the view is worth it. We’ve been here for a little while now, and it feels like we haven’t even taken a step back to enjoy it. I’m a long way from Moldavia,” she added.
“Yes, and I am from Turkey. You miss your father?”
Jacquie looked at him, wondering why he would bother to ask when he knew she did.
“I recently lost mine too,” he continued. “Ten Zil, you and I, all suddenly orphans. It doesn’t feel right.” He stared further. “I’m here if you want to talk about it, but if not, I don’t mind that either. I’m not much of a talker when it comes to my feelings. More of a man of action.”
Jacquie gave him a quiet smile. Hasim smiled back. He had been waiting for this moment for days.
-------------------------
Tatiana looked in the full length mirror, unsure if what she was seeing was true. Her skin, which had become a pale white, now almost looked like it was starting to get so white that it had a hue of blue in it too. “This can’t be…” she couldn’t help but say aloud.
“But it is,” said a voice, which she turned to see Mon-El, “and after all the strange things you’ve seen, how could you even doubt it?” He had his ever serious look on his face, but something about him told her he was slightly smiling and amused. “Especially myself.”
“A very valid point,” she replied. “You have abilities unlike anything I have ever even heard of. And that is not even including the part about being over two thousand years old.”
“I have always been able to do these things. But it is you that is truly impressive. The way you were in the fight with the Empress…I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such ferocity and bravery. It was staggering.”
She turned away, smiling, looking away from him. “Thank you. I was caught up in the moment.”
“I’m glad. You saved our lives. Thank you,” he finished, as she turned to be face to face with him, only inches apart. For a moment, their eyes locked on each other. She stepped back and now he actually did smile.
The small, posh Japanese hotel room felt roomy and extravagant, which was a tribute to the talented architect who designed the place.
“I don’t know how long we’ll be able to live off the Princess’ dime,” said Dirk to Blok, who didn’t seem to be listening. “Unless you feel like giving me a hint on what it is we’re supposed to be doing…?” he added. “No? Great.”
“Hey Sun Boy…”
“DON’T CALL ME SUN BOY,” said Dirk to Ten Zil. “That kid Hasim is having a little fun at my expense. I hate that name. They gave it to me when I was like fourteen, and I’ve grown to hate it.”
“Uh, right. I was thinking of going back out tonight,” said Ten Zil.
“Tenz, look. I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Let’s just stay put tonight and go out tomorrow again.” Ten Zil looked like the words stung more than they were meant for. “Tenz…we need to start considering that your Mom and bro aren’t here in Japan.”
-----------------------------
Blok had moved across the room by this point, closer to Maziah. She was sitting quietly, enjoying the sound of running water in the fountain in the section of the open room. “Hello Blok,” she said.
“Hello Maziah,” he replied. “In quiet contemplation?”.
“Yes,” she said, then blushing slightly, “I’m trying to figure out what we’re doing here.”
“We are here for Ten Zil, I presume. He will see soon enough that his family will not be found here. Tatiana wishes to go back to her manor, which is where I assume we will go. Of course, that is not what you are asking me.”
“I-I’m not sure what you mean, Blok” she replied.
“Maziah, I can assure you that you can confide in me. You are worried that we will have to cross the area of the world where your father Mordru has the most power.”
Maziah turned even whiter than usual. “Yes. But he holds power in all parts of the world, so it is a useless fear. I won’t be able to teleport us back this time, and Mon-El can’t fly us all there and back. We have to travel the normal way. After I spent so much time with Nura escaping in the first place.”
“Amazing, is it not, that you and your sister became friends with the heir of the shadow wielders, the heir of the House of Romanescue and the Heir of the Moldavian Royal Family, despite being spread across the world?”
“Yes Blok, it is amazing. It was Irma,” Maziah quickly said.
“I have no doubt that Irma’s role was to bring you all together. Now the three of you are here, as well as Monius Elysius of two thousand years past, who also fought your father.”
“Mon-El fought my father? Blok…that makes no sense. Blok, you—“ her voice trailed off. “Blok, how do you know so much about my father and me?”
“I know a great deal. And the time is coming for you and I to tell the others what are real mission must be.”
“Real mission?”
“In regards to your father.”
Posted by Reboot on :
Mano sat with a knife, carving at the bit of wood. He didn't know what he was making - he'd barely started, but in these days of Nightmare, it was one of the few things which brought him any pleasure.
Elsewhere, Tellus "sat" - if you could call what his deformed body did "sitting" - reading The Three Musketeers, flicking the pages with the tip of his tail. He didn't complain about what his lot in life had proven to be - what was simply was.
Elsewhere still, Micro was at a nightclub, talking constantly to anyone who'd listen about anything and everything he was allowed to talk about.
Finally, yet another elsewhere, Wolf howled. The body of a man, blood still warm as it leeched onto the uncarpeted floor, lay beneath him. His claws were red. Again, Wolf howled.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Roberta Skye Herrera gazed at the view from her home in Baguio City. No amount of pushing by the city council of the Summer Capital of the Philippines for modernization would ever make her wish that the beautiful greenery would give way to a sprawling cityscape.
She checked her things once more. She had packed her jacket, toiletries and enough clothes to last two weeks. She double-checked her passport, tickets, visa and wallet. She had enough money for two weeks' worth of expenses, with enough left over for a ticket back home. And that was if she was frugal. Everything was all set.
She walked down the large wooden stairs, looking at the family pictures on the walls. Her parents, smiling at their wedding. Her grandmother, twenty years gone now. Her lolo, her grandfather, the one who had given her her second name - Skye. He had always dreamed of flying through the skies in a plane, and he finally had - not as a pilot, though, but as a passenger. Roberta had inherited his love of heights and the sky - and something more.
Around her, the air began to whirl.
"Berta! What did I tell you about using your powers in the house?"
Roberta clicked her tongue angrily. This lack of control would not do if she was to impress the Legion! She let the breeze die down before it could do more damage, then thought again. She used her powers to fix the picture frames she had moved with the wind. Satisfied, she continued down the stairs.
"You must not get distracted, Berta. The Americans are tightening security now, and we would not want them to mistake you for a terrorist."
"I'm sorry, inay. I will be careful."
"Ay, you listen to your mother, Skye. You may only get one chance," her grandfather said, not unkindly.
Berta smiled back at his wise, weathered face. "Yes, lolo. I'll join the Legion and make you proud."
Her mother smiled too. "Just think what your ninangs (godmothers) would say when they find out that you have such wonderful powers! They already say that God has blessed you with so much."
Berta wondered what her friends would say, too. She imagined their excited reactions - her closest friends would definitely be thrilled with her, while her acquaintances might become even more plastic. She could tell they were jealous of her intelligence, her good grades, her leadership skills and the high positions she held in high school, and now her acceptance into the University of the Philippines and in Ateneo and La Salle. She had also made it into the University of Santo Tomas -and as a nursing student, no less! She had been having trouble deciding which to enter, but then the news about the Legion had reached them, and she was quick to seize the opportunity. Her lolo had backed her up, and her parents, after a bit of hesitation, agreed as well. An opportunity like this did not come by often, and if it somehow didn't work out she could always come back and enter college.
"I'm sure they'll be proud, mother. I just hope that no users will take advantage of us."
"Ay, hija, don't you worry. We can deal with them if there are any. We are used to that. Now come, let us have breakfast. We still have a long drive to make before reaching Manila. And we have a lot of things to take care of before you leave."
Berta grimaced. She wasn't looking forward to the almost eight-hour drive. It would be faster to fly there on her own power, but she understood the risk in doing that. There was no telling what would happen if the media got wind of her powers. It would be nice to fly again and feel the wind in her face, but... no matter, she'd have plenty of chances to do that in America. As she sat down to a hearty meal, she relished the thought of that. Soon, soon, all her dreams would come true.
[ October 13, 2005, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
"Jenni." Jazmin whispered her teammates' name calmly, but with a hint of urgency in her voice. "I have a new lead."
Jenni nodded. It was all she could do to hope. She waited impatiently while Jaz caught her breath.
"I was on monitor duty the other day, and an alert came from a military installation in the Arctic. But before I could do anything, a second message came in, saying that the situation was contained. Following protocol, I called up a live feed to make sure - and I caught a glimpse of what looked like Chu."
Jaz looked Jenni straight in the eyes.
"This could be it. Ostensibly, the place's purpose is for research on counters to known chemical weapons. Chu definitely has no business there."
Jenni nodded. "I'll get tickets to Norway pronto. How long will it take from there?"
"Forty-five minutes, about. I can't fly near as fast as you can run, though, so I have no idea how long it'll be for you. Probably half that."
"Okay. Either way, we do this together."
[ October 17, 2005, 04:09 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jenni's mind flashed back to the conversation she had had with Jazmin earlier that week. Her pulse quickened as she thought about what it would feel like to see the end of her search. She imagined herself racing in, grabbing the monster who had killed her mother and...
... and what?
She'd thought about that moment many times over the last few years, but she'd never gotten farther than that. It all seemed one of those movies where the heroes move heaven and earth to battle the villains, and you can only imagine what's running through their minds while they do. Jenni couldn't quite imagine what was in her mind. Why had she left her surviving family, joined the Legion, worked with her new teammate to track down the people they had both been looking for for ages - and why, now that it seemed like they had finally found them, was she suddenly not sure about it all?
"Jenni?"
Jenni jerked out of her trance to see Zoe Saunders, Kinetix, floating above her. The beautiful telekinetic had a green glow around her, and was wearing yet another costume. "Finally! I've been trying to get your attention for the past minute. I mean, that's like a lifetime for you, right? I was about to give up and leave you here. Would have saved me from the horrible curse of Monitor Duty!"
Jenni stood up, face burning slightly. Inwardly, she kicked herself for that. What if her teammates got suspicious? "Sorry, Zoe! I was just - thinking." Her mind raced, telling her to change the subject. "You wouldn't really have left me alone, would you?"
"Oh, if I were sure nobody had noticed me coming in, I would've." Zoe answered with a mischievous grin. "Tina and Nura want to head to the beach tomorrow, and I wanted to talk them into going today. Why wait, right? Besides, I'm almost done with the Halloween costumes. You'll LOVE yours, Jenni. Want to try it on right now?"
"Uh, no thanks. Surprise me. I'm sure you did a great job on the design."
Jenni was relieved to see the green glow around Zoe die down. "Yeah, I guess it'd spoil the surprise. Say, you think I can talk Cos or whoever's in charge into opening the party to the public? I'd love to have my old classmates over."
Jenni thought she detected a touch of - something flash in Zoe's eyes. Anger? Jealousy? Whatever it was, it probably wasn't serious.
"Oh, you still keep in touch with them? I thought you couldn't, what with all the travel you did with your mom."
Zoe shrugged, a tad too violently. "It was tough, but I did e-mail them. They replied often enough, though we did lose touch a bit. That's why I want them to come, so they can see me now. Anyway - I've gotta get to work. Don't want Gene or Irma to catch me slacking off."
Jenni sensed that she had touched a nerve. "I - Okay." Now wasn't the best time to fix it, though. Besides, it wasn't like she did it intentionally. Not like Zoe would hold a grudge because of that. "See you around. Hey, it'll be too late to go to the beach later, but maybe you want to jump in the pool? It's almost as good."
"Sure." Zoe gave a little smile. "Why not? But only if you let me design your suit."
"Deal." Jenni smiled back, thoughts of her search almost gone. Maybe she wasn't looking for revenge, after all. Maybe she just needed some friends to fill the gap in her heart.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
"Jenni." The word hung in the air for but a second, but the sound of her voice almost frightened Jazmin. She sounded hard. Very hard. "You've been avoiding me. We need to talk."
Jaz paused as she took in the surprise on Jenni's face. It lasted only a moment, though, before being replaced by a short look of guilt, then calm once more.
"You're right, Jaz. I'm sorry. I just don't think..." Jaz saw Jenni swallow, almost imperceptibly, but it was there. "I think we should take this info to Gene."
Jaz felt her temper flare up, but she willed herself to calm down. She had been exhausting herself lately, keeping up with her training AND keeping an eye out for Chu. She had no solid proof that Chu had been behind her brother's death, but it seemed likely. Like the rest of the team, Jenni had supported her. Unlike the rest, jenni had been a big help. At first. Lately, though, she seemd to be getting cold feet.
"We can't. He'd turn it in to the police or the military or confront Chu himself. You know that. Rex and Irma would too. So would most of the others. We agreed we had to do this ourselves, Jenni. Don't bail out on me now."
"I just don't think revenge is the best reason for us to do this.
"It doesn't have to be. We'll be stopping them from ever doing this again. Look, Jenni, I know revenge isn't all that. I admit it's part of the reason why I'm so focused on this, but for me it's just a small bonus. I'm doing this to stop Chu. Period."
Jaz watched Jenni closely. It was true, what she had said. Mostly. She hoped Jenni believed her.
She did. "You're right. I'm sorry. We should get ready."
Jazmin let a smile creep back on her face. "I'm glad, Jenni. Let's go."
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Sally grew back to normal height as she watched Jenni and Jaz walk down the hall. She had come to join Zoe at monitor duty, knowing how much she hated spending her time alone. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she was glad she had dropped that pin on the carpet.
Sally knew she had to put a stop to this, but she wasn't sure how. She was a bit afraid of what might happen. Almost anything she could think of could end badly for Jenni or Jaz.
This wasn't the time for inaction, though. Sally had learned long ago that just because you're not sure of yourself doesn't mean you can't act. She needed help, though.
She'd have to tell Zoe.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Osaka
Jacquie, Ten Zil, Dirk, Hasim and Maziah walked through the streets—an odd group of teenagers in Osaka if their ever was one. Monius Elysius had elected to stay behind with Blok, and Tatiana did too for her own reasons. Ten Zil assumed it was because she was feeling embarrassed by the changing pigment in her skin. Dirk knew better—despite him being a good four or five years older, the brave young girl was on the verge of being a love-sick girl around Mon-El.
Despite Blok telling a few of them in private it was a waste to continue looking, Jacquie had agreed to one last trip into the city to find Ten Zil’s mother and brother, if for no other reason than to remind Ten Zil, who was doing an amazing job concealing how bad he was hurting, that he had friends now. Dirk was proud of the Princess that he was quickly becoming friends with, but they were still not on speaking terms.
Maziah seemed happy to be with them. “I…felt the need to be out and about with you all. Too much quiet mediation and not enough interaction with all of you,” she continued, “we still all hardly know each other.” Hasim smiled on the inside—an obvious white lie for the ‘white witch’. She was more uncomfortable around Blok than all of them, and it was no small feat for any young person to feign comfortableness around a giant creature made of Earth and stone.
Hours passed, and they questioned people here and there, thanking Maziah’s spell for the ability to communicate in other languages. Finally, two fisher-man appeared to be startled by their appearance, in a way that led them to believe they might know something.
“You speak flawless Japanese,” said one, “a better dialect than me!” he laughed. “But I can tell you are of Korean decent,” he said to Ten Zil now, “and are not the first person to past through here who has been.”
“Ah yes,” said the other. “The boy. Younger than you. We did not catch his name. He tried to steal a fish, but we could tell he was starving so we let him think he got away.”
“That might be my brother, Ren Kil,” said Ten Zil quickly.
Jacquie stepped forward. “Is there anything else you might possibly know?” Dirk looked at Hasim and Maziah—Maziah seemed to think they were genuine and they seemed to be. Hasim didn’t trust anyone.
“Well,” said the fisherman, “we saw him when many ships were coming in and out. There’s a chance he most likely boarded one, as he had the look as if he was running from something,” added the fisherman, this time raising his eyebrow as if to say, ‘I know he looked suspicious and so do you.’
“Any idea where?” said Jacquie, grasping at straws.
“We can check the ship-log inside,” said the other. “It should be no problem, although it might not help much—there are many ships that pass through here.”
“We’ll come with you,” said Jacquie, and she, Maziah and Ten Zil stepped into the tiny shack, not enough room for all five. “Great,” thought Dirk, looking at Hasim.
“Boys,” said a man suddenly, approaching. He was aging, and looked very distinguished. A business man, most definitely.
“Yes, sir?” said Dirk.
“I could not help but notice that you are American, and you are Middle-Eastern/European, most likely of Turkish decent. We do not get such a variety of cultures here on the shipping docks of Osaka often, and I was curious to meet you. You see, I often travel and have many colleagues around there world, and am interested in such matters.”
“Well, we’re just hear, visiting Osaka,” said Hasim. “It’s lovely,” he added begrudgingly.
“That’s amazing,” said the man. “You just spoke flawless Japanese.”
“We are very fluent in languages sir,” said Dirk.
“I see. Amazing enough, I was speaking in English.”
“We understand English too. I’m American.”
“And what am I speaking now?” replied the businessman again.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t play the fool with me boy. Tell me. What language now?”
“You have no right to talk to us like that—“ started Hasim.
“—Oh, but I do,” cut in the man. “I know what language you’re speaking quite well. I believe the term you would call it is: magic.”
Suddenly, Hasim felt a crack over his head as many men were on him. Dirk felt as if he was being jumped.
“Amazing, isn’t it? Here on the shipping docks of Osaka, of all places, is the day the Dark Circle stepped out of the shadows of society.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Maziah, Jacquie and Ten Zil entered the shack. The two men led them to a schedule they had tacked onto the wall.
“Here. This is a log of all the ships coming in and out today.”
“Thank you,” said Jacquie, as they took a look at it. Maziah stood to the back. “I’ve never been on a fishing boat,” she said to the man quietly.
“No? It is very difficult work, you would not like it I’m afraid,” said one.
“I’d love to try it,” she replied.
“Would you? We can’t have that! A young pretty lady like yourself working so tirelessly?”
Maziah seemed taken aback by this obvious compliment. “I can work hard. I value that much more than being pretty.”
“We know you do,” said the other man. “We have a lot of faith placed in you, Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal, daughter of the Dark Lord Mordru.”
“What?” said Jacquie out loud, suddenly turning, as she felt a cloth go over her face. She looked up and saw another man, in a hooded purple costume doing the same to Ten Zil. The men were screaming.
“Your day is at hand, daughter of Mordru! We have come for you! You will grow to love us, as we will love you!”
“NOO!!!” screamed Maziah, obviously scared beyond all reason. A glow began to emanate from her hands, but one of the fisherman grabbed her by the waste, and began pulling her outside.
Men seemed to be coming in from everywhere. How many were there?
Ten Zil looked up and was overwhelmed, and then suddenly a gigantic tidal wave crashed into the shack, destroying it instantly. He could see Dirk and Hasim.
Water was everywhere. They were underwater now. Drowning. Ten Zil didn’t understand what happened, but was trying to breath. No chance—they were all going to die, and he had no idea what was happening.
Suddenly, Ten Zil snapped back to action. All the Dark Circle men were on the ground, gasping for air, apparently under the illusion they were drowning. Dirk and Hasim were recovering just the same. Jacquie was standing in the midst of all of them, ending the battle with her powers.
“Nice Jac,” said Dirk, breathing heavy.
“Maziah. Now. They’re taking her up ahead.” They ran.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The men from the Dark Circle moved with Maziah, as she tried to gather her thoughts and see what was happening. Concentrate, she told herself. She had more than enough power to destroy this entire group.
“Daughter of Mordru! We, the Dark Circle, will change your life! Our sacred history can come to light! What man has long forgotten, has left in the dark, you will be our guiding light!”
“N-no!” she said. Their yelling was distracting her. But “daughter of Mordru”! “Dark Circle”! Why were they yelling such things? Why were they interested in her and her father?
“Help,” she whispered, bringing her hands to her lips. A simple spell, which she always had prepared, and a golden butterfly flew into the air from her hands. The men evidently saw it and stopped.
“She cast a spell,” said an older, aging Japanese man. “The witch has cast a spell. What was it?!” he yelled. “Did you call your father?!”
“N-n-no!” she yelled. “Leave me alone! My father is the least of you worries!”
The butterfly flew into the air and sped through the city, stopping above a posh hotel.
“Nonsense girl,” said the older Dark Circle leader. “We know all about magic, far more than you! We know all about your family and your people too. You can be our greatest hope—but you must first give us a chance to show you the dark, so that you may be our white light.”
Above the hotel, the butterfly turned into a cocoon, and dropped into the hotel, phasing through all around it. It landed on its intended destination, and turned into a small caterpillar, crawling up the side of the creature it was intended to find, and into his ear. And Blok knew.
“You say you know magic,” Maziah whispered, “you might. But you do not know it like I do. There are none that have been forced to know it like I have.”
“She speaks truth,” said a voice, as all turned to see Blok standing there before them, holding two members. “She will always speak truth,” he finished, slamming them together.
“What is that thing?!” yelled one man, turning his back to Maziah, and catching a magic dagger through his back. It did not kill him, but it made him feel the pain it would if she had. She was terrified.
Blok said nothing, moving them into walls and surrounding objects. He moved to Maziah. Their numbers seem endless.
“They are too many,” she said to him.
“Trust us Maziah, and will not let you down. They are numerous indeed…but we are Legion.”
Fire blazed into the sea of people, as Dirk ran into the fray. Ten Zil, Hasim and Jacquie were behind them, but the Dark Circle were already scattering. The older leader was already no where in sight. Hasim ran forward at full speed, “let’s grab one for questioning!” he yelled above the roar of the fight, but it was not to be. The Circle was better at escaping than actually fighting—a telling attribute of their organization.
They gathered around Maziah and Blok. No one said anything, until finally Jacquie asked “Maziah, are you alright?” Maziah walked forward, silently, and put her arms around Blok, hugging him. “Yes.”
“OK, enough is enough. We’re getting Mon and Tatiana, and we’re talking this through,” said Dirk. “No more secrets. You’re all going to tell us finally: Who is Mordru?.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Interlude
Yemen, the Secret City
Riding a horse, the man stuck out more than he realized, or cared, when compared to the other men on camelback. How the horse survived in the heat was a question among the locals, although they had no idea that it never drank or fed anymore. At least, not in the traditional sense.
He was in all black leather armor, and he had a sense that he cared not for how he looked. He enjoyed knowing he was a relic from yesteryear. Yester-century, in fact.
The man road up to the opulent palace and paid no heed to any guards, any maidens, or anything whatsoever. He had seen the beauty of the halls before many times. He did not waste time—indeed, that was why he was one of the most called upon of all the mighty wizard’s agents.
He approached the great throne and saw the old man, today adorned simply in fine red silk. His white beard neatly combed and an aroma of sweet cedar in the air.
“Milord,” he said, bowing.
“Lord Vykros,” said the old man, “you know why you have been called?”
“I do,” he replied. He was not supposed to, but he never lied to the wizard. The wizard raised his eyebrow, but knew this and appreciated the direct honesty. “I have dispatched your brand of justice for loose tongues.”
“As you always do. Then I send you off, Lord Vykros, on the most trusted of tasks that I have asked an agent to do in many a century. I need you to bring me my daughters. Use your discretion and do whatever you must to ensure their return, save the restrictions you are aware of for my most earnest goals. Do what you wish to any who stand between you and them.”
“Thank you Lord, I shall leave at once.”
“You may take rest here for the night if you wish,”
“I thank you, but I must leave during nightfall.”
“Of course.”
“Good day, Lord Mordru.”
End Interlude Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
They sat together in a circle, food and drink spread out before them, but none of them touching a bite. Their bags were packed, although that was a humorous statement in and off itself—they had very little valuables on them, almost nothing at all. They would be leaving Japan shortly, as it was no evident that Ten Zil’s mother and brother were not in Osaka, or even Japan. Blok had said as much already, and a few of them were starting to believe that when Blok spoke, his word could be trusted implicitly. Ten Zil had not given up hope, but he could not help but feel the others were right and the Dark Circle were just lying to lure Maziah away.
They were gathered because all of them were of the same mind: it was time for answers.
Dirk spoke up finally. “I’m sorry if I seem frustrated, but I have waited in the dark (and feeling like an idiot) long enough. Guys, we need you all to be honest with us. We need to know: Who is Mordru? What is this all that’s going on? I thought we were fighting the Emerald Empress, or Sara of Romanescue, or whatever she’s called? Who is the Dark Circle?” Dirk continued. “And Maziah, I like you and I’m glad we met, but I don’t really know you at all. Who are you?”
“I have to agree with pretty boy Dirk,” said Hasim speaking up. “I might be new to this little group, but if you plan on having me traveling with you, and I get the sense that Tenz and I are going to be, I want to know too if we’re going to keep getting attacked.”
“Yeah guys, why can’t you be as open as Blok?” said Tenz suddenly, and they all laughed. Blok smiled. He held secrets the others couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Not yet at least.
“They’re right guys,” said Tatiana, turning to her old friends Jacquie and Maziah. “I promise I’ll stand by you no matter what.”
“Then I will start,” said Jacquie, “although my role apparently is very small compared to the others,” she added. She looked around. For the first time, Jacquie looked tired, despite the stress of her father’s death weighing on her these past few weeks. She had taken to the role of leader well, the others all agreed. Now, in explaining herself, she felt for the first time she and her family might be validated…or condemned.
“I am of the Moldavian Royal Family, Princess Jacqueline Proiectra, although the name ‘Projectra’ has also stuck. For the last four centuries, my family has served the nation of Moldavia, despite a long of our area of the world having history of violence, upheaval and unfortunate location amidst a plethora of European powers that have eyed our lands to add to their massive empires.
“We have served our people well, and we have never put ourselves above them. However, our family did have one other important task: to guard the bloodline of the Royal Family of Romanescue, and keep them from ever again gaining access to the Emerald Eye of Ekron.
“Much of what my family knew of the Romanescue’s has been lost, save that the family once gained a large kingdom in the Middle Ages called Venegar, following their role in helping Rome ‘fall’. A mix of Roman aristocracy, Persian royalty and Germanic chieftains, the Romanesce’s held power for a long period of time. The reason, beyond their blood-thirst and harsh monarchy, was because they held control of the Emerald Eye of Ekron.
“At some point in history, Venegar was invaded and destroyed, and little of this history still exists to this day among my family. None now, in fact, since I am the last and it was all destroyed by Sara…”
Jacquie drifted off.
“Jacquie,” asked Tatiana, “why has no one ever heard of Venegar before? Surely someone in history would have evidence—“
“I do not know,” replied Jacquie.
“Mordru,” said Blok suddenly. “That is why. Continue your story Jacquie,” he finished.
“The Emerald Eye was separated from the family, and hidden in a secret place. The females of the Romanescue family, you see, have a secret connection to it. Something mystical and inexplicable. They can gain control of it in a way that most cannot. So they had to be kept away from the Eye at all costs, less the have it again, and their reign of terror continues. My family was put in charge of overseeing them, and their line became the traditional royal servants for my family, in the Kingdom of Moldavia. Our traditional illusion powers, which are more based in sorcery than anything, have allowed our kingdom to survive in these last war-filled centuries.
The Romanescue’s are inherently wicked and my family hoped that we could help them grow into something more benevolent. Apparently this was not so. As time past, the location of the Eye was long-lost, and generations moved on and on. Until this generation, with me as Princess of Moldavia and Sara as the heir of Romanescue. Years ago, I was contacted by Irma Ardeen and her circle of friends, and although we were spread throughout the world, Maziah, Tataina, Maziah’s sister Nura, Irma and myself were able to speak. Sara was also a part of this group, and in truth, I secretly hid who I was and why I joined to watch her. I…I deceived them, save for Maziah, who saw through it. I suspected Sara had alterior motives, and now I think I was justified.
“I’m sorry Tatiana,” she said, turning to Tatiana. There were tears in her eyes.
“I forgive you Jacquie. Go on,” she said caringly.
“Then somehow the Eye was unleashed again. I do not know how. It came directly to Sara, seeking her out, as the heir of Romanescue. And she—she destroyed my kingdom and family.”
They were all quiet now.
“And then I met all of you,” said Jacquie. “And now I have hope again.”
“Yes Jacquie,” said Blok, “and hope it enough. It was Mordru who freed the Eye, after centuries of searching for it. He, in his arrogance, sought to maybe control it directly, thinking he might have overcome the ancient curses. He could not and it fled. But it kicked off a series of events that have linked us all together. Which may, unknown to Mordru, have begun a turning of the tide.”
“Mordru and the Eye are connected?” said Jacquie.
“Oh yes,” said Blok. He turned to Maziah. “Maziah…tell them your story.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Maziah looked around, nervous now, and fearing more than ever before that she would be hated and judged.
Jacquie felt calm now, and very relieved. “It’s alright Maziah, go ahead,” she said to red-haired ‘witch’. Dirk had put his hand on Jacquie’s shoulder and smiled at her. Hasim was close to her too. Near Maziah, there was only Blok.
“I…my name is Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal, as you all know. A few weeks ago, my sister and I escaped from our home, to get away from our father and our surroundings. We were going to New York City in America, to meet the Legion of Super-Heroes. But on the way there, I sensed Jacquie was in trouble and needed to join her, since I knew her secrets concerning Sara. That is how I came here. But before all this…my life has been different than most.”
“My father’s name is Mordru, which would not recognize off-hand. Yet, I am overwhelmed that some of you actually know it. I should not be. My father is without a doubt, the most powerful mage in the world, and one of the strongest beings on the planet.”
“No Maziah,” said Blok suddenly. “Your father is the strongest mage in the history of the world, and is undoubtedly the strongest being on the planet. I apologize for the interruption. Continue.”
“I never knew my mother. But Nura and I did have a good life. Nothing was denied to us, and we were treated like Princesses. My father is not a king or a emperor, but he is very powerful and owns much land, wealth and people.”
“People?” she heard Ten Zil whisper.
“He loved us very much and was kind to us. We were the apple of his eye. But as Nura and I grew older, we saw he was not so generous to others. He was…cruel…” Maziah trailed off, and images of the things she witnessed growing up flashed through her eyes. Men eaten alived. Women burned to death. Horrible tortures, horrible spells. Horrible creatures.
“My sister inherited a power of foresight, of being able to predict the future in her dreams. This, we believe, comes from my mother. I had none of these powers, but that made my father even more happy. From age 3 onwards, I began my magical training and have continued since. Being Mordru’s daughter, I have a natural inclination towards magic. I,” she paused, “am very strong at times. My father has many friends throughout the world and many plans, but I know little about them. I know among the magic community, he is the lead figure.”
“Magic community?” said Dirk. “There’s a magic community?”
“It is very small, I assure you,” said Maziah. “It has to be. My father kills any who might threaten his power one day.”
“And the Dark Circle? The Emerald Eye?” said Hasim.
“I had never heard of the Emerald Eye until I met Jacquie, and had no idea until now that it was connected to my father in anyway. And I have never heard of the Dark Circle before. I’m scared. My father…you don’t know what he’s capable of. What he can do. And how much he’ll hurt all of you if he can for keeping me away from him.”
A cold, eerie silence pierced the idea, and all of them wanted to speak up, but none it seemed could. None, except once more, Blok. “We will stand by your side Maziah,” he said. “Please stand by ours.”
“Ironic, is it not, that the daughters of Mordru, the heir of Romanescue, the heir of the Moldavian Royal Family and the heir of the shadow-wielders all communicate telepathically for years as children?” said Blok suddenly.
“I was thinking the same thing,” said Dirk. “And the girl, Irma.”
“Irma Ardeen, I believe,” said Blok, “was to bring them all together. That was her role there. Her future, in the Legion of Super-Heroes, will be much greater. But in the grand scheme of the war with Mordru, that was where she stood.”
“Her role?” said Tatiana. “Blok, I had never heard of Mordru, the Emerald Eye, the Dark Circle, and other things until a few weeks ago. I had no idea.”
“No, you didn’t. But your ancestors, the shadow-wielders have guarded this Earth for centuries. Over two millennia in fact. Irma didn’t know this of course. But fate, and this planet, directed her to do it.”
“Fate? Blok, c’mon…” said Dirk.
“Fate. Or whatever he calls himself these days,” said Blok, equally as vague as before. “But you were brought together for a purpose. The war with Mordru begins anew.”
“How do you know so much Blok?” she asked him.
“I have been fighting your father for many centuries. Longer than even Monius Elysius.”
They all turned to Mon-El. He looked stern and stood upright, unafraid. “Very well,” he said. “I will tell you my story.”
[ October 14, 2005, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Mon-El turned to all of them. Tatiana stood on one side of him, her skin, it appeared continuing to turn so pale that it looked light blue now. In fact, it was not even really pale any longer. It was turning blue. On the other side stood Ten Zil, who was in awe of the warrior.
“You know my story briefly. A few weeks ago I awoke from a two thousand year slumber, because the Emerald Eye of Ekron woke me when it was reactivated by Lord Mordru. I flew towards it immediately, and met all of you. I have helped you track the Emerald Empress since, and will continue to help, because I feel you all have a great degree of honor in a world I cannot understand.
I was born Monius Elysius, and I have always had these abilities. My family was Roman and I rose in rank and legend. I helped destroy whole armies and the Romans cheered me on. I was a living deity to them, like Hercules or Achilles. Tatiana tells me that legends still exist today because of me. By seventeen, I had achieved every glory possible, and helped defend the Empire under the reign of Augustus, in a period that breathed new life into Rome after decades of internal conflict.
But there was a force so great, so destructive, that the Roman’s feared it above all else. Far away, towards Persia, it existed. It was not only an empire, or an army, it was a ruler. One man. One monster. His name was Mordru. We believed he was a mad god. There were none in the world who did not fear him.
The Persians feared him too. Feared him so greatly, as did the Romans, that the two long-standing great enemies, the East and the West banded together for the first time and led one great army against him, to destroy the wizard. Persians and Romans! Unlike ever before in the history of Rome or Greece. We marched on his empire, and prepared to battle. I was a hero among the men, but it was not a role I wanted. Too much focus was on me.”
Memories flooded Mon-El’s mind. He remembered the meetings and the careful diplomats. The Romans and the Persians took some careful planning to ally. In hindsight, he could almost picture Blok there. There was a shadow-wielder too, of Persian decent. He as brave and Mon and he became friends. He had a little daughter that looked up to Mon-El too.
“Before the battle could ever begin, Mordru’s agents poisoned my water supply with lead, and I fell ill. I should have died. My fall truly affected the men’s morale and hurt the great army. Only Augustus himself, the Persian diplomat Ralex Jorg and my Centurian, a man known as Devious Emorius knew how to save me and placed me in the zone of Phantoms. Mordru had defeated me, and he was able to do it by discovering my weakness—something that no living person had ever known save my parents and myself. I cannot fathom how he knew. I should have died. And now, I have awoken two thousand years later, and still he stands, still he plagues the Earth.
“Then, thousands upon thousands fell before him. Empires crumbled and people were crushed. He is as crafty as he is powerful. Cunning and infinitely patient. His enemies wither away and die, or are poisoned in the night, and he lives on, waiting and gaining control.”
“The Emerald Eye existed then too. It was under Mordru’s control then, and was his most powerful tool in wiping out whole armies. His concubine used it for him, as he could not master it. The Emerald Eye of Ekron. It was legend then, as it is now. He has always been connected to it, as it was once his.”
“Now Blok, you must tell us your story. Because despite all we know, there are holes in this history.”
They all turned to Blok now. “Finally,” said Dirk.
Posted by Reboot on :
Hallowe'en, part 1
This was planned as one huge post. Between quite HOW huge it was getting, and certain difficulties in the mid-section, I've split it into a two-parter
Spark was very uncomfortable, physically and otherwise, even before she looked at herself in the mirror. She could feel the skintight leather of the one-piece costume that covered her whole body from the neck down chafing places she most certainly didn't want chafed. She could feel the sweat building up already. She could feel the stupid high heels that made walking difficult - she had never worn high heels before in her life and on the basis of this never wanted to again, especially since these were high heels. And she could feel the weight of the metal spikes running down her spine, along the outside of each arm and down the middle of her front that reminded her that she'd have to keep her distance from everyone, literally.
And on top of that, she looked in the mirror and saw the red. She hated red clothes. With a passion and a vengeance. And now here she was decked out neck-to-toe in red leather that chafed and made her sweat a ton and... there was a knock at the door.
"Ella, can I come in?"
"'Sif I could stop you," Ella muttered before adding "Sure" out loud.
Andromeda walked into the room. She looked almost as uncomfortable as Spark, albeit for different reasons - right at that moment, Ella would gladly have swapped with her for the Power Girl costume, even with the big stupid gold button and red cape. At least her skin could breathe.
Laurel herself was more concerned with the gaping hole in the chest area of her white leotard than minor accoutrements. She was struggling not to keep her arms permanently folded and gave Spark an "at least you're covered" look in reply to Spark's expression. Both were wishing they'd never made the bet.
"The plane's ready, and we need to be onboard in the next ten minutes."
"Fine. I'd better move - it'll probably take me ten minutes to walk to the plane like this," and Spark hobbled from the room in an ungainly fashion.
«Well, you made this bed Ella...» Laurel thought as she looked down, wondering if pulling rank and making Enrapture get Reflecto from his room would be a good idea. ______________________
"Thanks Paul," Spark said, as Polarity - very carefully, given the spikes - helped her down from the helicopter that had taken them from the airport to the helipad atop the Richards building, where the Legion was currently housed. Before taking the elevator down five floors to the Legion's reception desk - the team had the whole top five floors of the building to themselves, three of which were designated as living quarters for the team, including the penthouse - they walked over to the edge of the precipice and looked down.
Andromeda and Dragonmage, both fliers who had gone higher than this under their own steam, were nonplussed. Ultraboy, who could fly but always kept relatively near the ground because of his power limitation, nervously concentrated on keeping his invulnerability on. Spark and Polarity, who could hover a little with great effort, felt dizzy as they looked down. Enrapture, who was fully bound by gravity's laws, refused to even look, in the same way she'd kept to the middle of the helicopter on the trip from the airport. And Reflecto, who couldn't fly but wouldn't have been hurt in the slightest if he fell, leaned right over, pulled up the Deadpool mask, spat down toward the street and started counting, before feeling Andromeda's hand on his neck firmly pulling him back.
"No," she said, and pulled him - just gently enough for it not to backfire on her - toward the lift. The others followed at varying paces. _______________________
When they entered the reception lobby, only a few Legionnaires were there. Most were in the training room - bigger than the Legion's rec room, it was where the party was due to be held.
Of the ones who were there, Cosmic Boy was sitting perched on the edge of a table, wearing a Golden Age Green Lantern costume (but no wig), watching them come in. Leviathan, next to him, was standing straight in his Captain America suit. Off to the side, Tela and Spirit, dressed in a Fantastic Four costume and as Secret from Young Justice respectively, were chatting. Behind, Live Wire was sitting nervously in a chair in various pseudo-paramilitary gear as Cable. Quislet, a small silver ship with a few vaguely Star Trek-like parts bolted to it, bobbed in the air around them. ________________________
Cos and Leviathan had been waiting there for about ten minutes. They'd been about fifteen minutes early for the Workforce's expected arrival time, but as effective co-leaders, they had decided they should wait in the foyer early just in case. Leviathan had said to be there twenty minutes early, Cos said ten, and eventually they split the difference rather than go down separately.
Since then, things had gradually filled up - most of the team were now in the training/party room, presumably helping Kinetix finish decorating or starting things early, while Irma, Garth, Tina and Quislet had chosen to wait with them. None of the other five quite understood why Quislet was there - he was absolutely awful at waiting, as shown by his periodic swoops round the room while asking "Are they here yet."
The exceptions were Jenni, who everyone knew wouldn't miss the party for the world and was probably out for a run trying to bleed off her excitement - presuming that she hadn't slipped past them between blinks, of course - and Quentin. Who there was a sweepstake on whether Andromeda's presence would make him come down of his own accord or whether Kinetix - who had had the idea for the party, had done much of the organising, costume-making and decorating personally and had been the one to rope others in to do the rest - would end up going to fetch him.
Leviathan stepped forward, intending to offer a formal greeting to the Workforce. Cos noticed, decided it wasn't worth it and would spoil the tone for the night.
"Snap!"
Polarity had noticed Cos' movement and they naturally greeted each other by holding their fists out and mock-punching their "Green Lantern" rings together.
"They're going to think we set this up, y'know," Paul casually noted as the brothers walked off together. Granted, their costumes were very different; between Paul's black and white costume with green mask and Rex's caped green, red and purple concoction; but the fact they had both chosen "Green Lantern" roles without consulting one another was cause for comment.
"Ack, who cares," replied Cos, and the brothers continued talking and walking, pausing only to avoid being knocked over by the speeding Ultraboy.
Meanwhile, having noticed the new arrivals, Tela and Spirit broke off their talk and headed over towards them. Tela headed over to Spark, "Hi, Ella isn't it? I'm Tela, Irma to my friends," she gave a smile intended to convey reassurance, since she could feel the tension ratiating from Spark, who could see Live Wire hanging back behind Irma.
"Hi, um-Irma, sorry but is there a toilet in this place?"
Irma's smile didn't fade as she pointed to a door and said "Sure, first left, second right, down the corridor, it's on your left."
"Ta," Ella replied, and hobbled off in the direction indicated.
Simultaneously, Reflecto was starting to bug Leviathan; "So what was going on with you and that kid - Ricky or Buffy or whatever anyway?" Leviathan tried to splutter a response, that he wasn't Captain America, and the Captain had been a great hero, but Reflecto continued, "I saw those pics of you two in the War, you with your hand around him. Wasn't everywhere the hand went, huh? The comics whitewashed it, but..."
At that point, Quislet intervened, bobbing around Reflecto, "Hey, d'y'wanna be my friend, huh, huh?" Reflecto's caustic comment to the negative didn't dissuade him, "C'mon, it'll be fun fun fun! You know you wanna!"
"Get away!" Reflecto started to move away, but Quislet followed.
"Okay, you wanna go in there, let's go friend!"
With that, Reflecto drew his sword - part of his costume, but also the sword he used day-to-day as a Workforcer - and threatened Quislet, but then the sword said, "C'mon, let's just go to the party, silly!" and he dropped it and ran for the party room.
"What fun!" said Quislet and followed.
Meanwhile, Enrapture had strode into the party room with the look of someone with a purpose, Dragonmage had excused himself for a moment and flown outside for some air, while Live Wire had gone without anyone bar Tela noticing - she had followed to try and talk him down.
"...and so how does it feel to lead the Workforce?" Spirit was asking Andromeda.
"Depends what you mean - I'm the captain of the team, but not the manager or coach. So not as bad as it might be." Andromeda replied."
"Does it make you nervous, then?"
"Sometimes, if I'm honest. I was nervous as anything at first, but now, it's not quite as bad..." Andromeda continued as her and Spirit walked into the party room together, leaving Leviathan alone in the foyer, head spinning slightly after Reflecto's taunts as the backwash from Jenni running into the room in front of him and Kinetix (in a green Phoenix costume) simultaneously flying behind at speed behind him to fetch Quentin ripped his shield from his hand.
Tikhik sighed heavily, as he looked out over the sea, as he so often did these days.
It hadn't worked. Their attempt to "borrow" a line to the Legion of Super-Heroes hadn't worked and he was still stuck, thousands of miles from where he needed to be. He shuddered to think what McCauley might be doing to other innocents...
Suddenly, he felt himself pulled up into the air, and began to swirl about like a toy gyroscope. Despite this, he made no attempt to struggle and almost sounded bored as he said "Hello Tom."
"You're not seriously saying you're not impressed! C'mon, I only got the hang of it earlier on"
"It's hard to be impressed when you're swirling about like a top... and you call this 'the hang of it?'."
Tom sighed and lowered Tikhik to the ground as gently as he could - unfortunately, would still have meant a bit of a bump, as he landed on his back, had Tikhik not caught this and opened a gate beneath him, emerging right-side up and slowed by the "upward" momentum. "Tom..."
"C'mon - you needed something to take your mind off stuff... how come you were so calm anyway? Besides, you can't say that wasn't a neat trick!"
Tikhik dusted himself off as best he could and sighed. Tom meant well - he didn't have a bad bone in his body - but he had a habit of not thinking things through. Besides, he wasn't in the mood - depressed as he was, he had better days. This wasn't one.
"Anyhow," Tom continued after a slight pause, worrying about his friend, "I had to bring you in anyway. Mum's making chicken chow mein, and it's nearly ready. C'mon."
Tikhik followed along, trying to push his problems to the back of his mind.
[ October 21, 2005, 04:44 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
"There is no hope?"
"None. His wounds were mortal, and only the Elen preserves him now for his last task."
"Very well." The man left the doctors' tent, and entered the deep blue tent beyond.
Inside, a young woman sat crosslegged upon a woollen mat which was laid upon the ground. At the sound of entry, she visibly tensed and opened her eyes, her hand upon Calíburn, her sword. She relaxed only slightly when she saw who it was.
"What news?" she asked.
"As feared, his wounds are mortal." He would have continued, but she knew perfectly well what it meant, and stood and walked to the entrance of the tent, Calíburn in her hand.
She entered the tent thereafter and bade to be left alone with her father, then spoke with him at length for the last time.
Thereafter, she called from inside the tent and had two men carry him out, placing him upon a bench. He looked up at her and nodded, weakly.
"Goodbye father," she whispered, and brought Calíburn down, cleaving his head from his body.
As soon as life left his body, the Elen - a glowing artefact that none but Tazmin could gaze upon - left too, sitting atop his corpse. The fact that she could was sign that it had accepted her as its' new host.
She took it in her hands, and thrust it into her torso, where it vanished.
Michael Tomas, Arren of the Táloc, was dead. Long reign Tazmin Tomas, Arra of the Táloc.
[ October 26, 2005, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“Finally,” said Dirk, as the seven young teenagers looked at their eighth companion and waited for him to finally speak.
Blok smiled, and Mon thought to himself that seeing Blok smile like this from time to time was far more nerve-wracking than when he never used to smile at all. “I know nothing of the Dark Circle, I’m afraid,” he began, “but about Mordru…I know a great many things.”
“Mordru is a great many things to a great many people. But one thing he is to all who think they should be able to live in peace, independent of some outside, tyrannical will. To them, he is the enemy. And he has been since the dawn of civilization.”
Blok became quiet again. Jacquie looked around to see what the others were thinking. They might not have the experience she had in watching people speak. She knew what Blok was thinking: ‘how much should I tell them’…’how much can they handle’.
“Before Rome, before Persia, before even Greece or Eygpt, there were civilizations on this planet. Mordru lived then too. Not many knew of his origins, but they didn’t have to, since his purpose was not hidden then, as it is now. He sought to unite all the world, to achieve one grand kingdom. But this was no mere age of enlightenment he wanted. He wanted a grand kingdom, where he, the great Emperor Mordru, would be king.”
“His power was immense. He was the greatest sorcerer of his time, and remains the greatest sorcerer of all time. It’s far beyond sorcery…its his ability to manipulate the ebb and flow of energy within the Earth itself, and the way he has been able to altar what should be physical limitations around universe.”
“His presence is beyond commanding. I hope that none of you ever see him so. He could wipe us all out with in the blink of an eye without magic at all, for his prowess in battle is unmatched. His powers over the mind are immeasurable. And he controls a cadre of forces, creatures and agents long-thought lost to this world, that would terrorize modern man if they ever became aware of these creatures’s existence.”
“That’s outrageous!” said Dirk suddenly.
“Yeah,” added Hasim. “How come he’s never taken over the world then, if he’s so damn powerful. No one is that strong.”
“An excellent question. Because there are those that resist him, and have always done so. I, myself, have been fighting him for what you would quantify as over one hundred millennia. The planet itself has been in danger for that long, that it has given me my mission. Mordru must be defeated.”
“He has worked in shadows when it seemed it would be more beneficial to do so. Other times, he has been open about his conquests. In Ancient times, the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire united for the first time in their respective histories to combat the devil himself, who had amassed a power-base so large that they feared he would take over the world itself. History has not been kind in recording things Mordru would not like us to know. His agents have always been very proficient with pens over swords.”
“It was then that Monius Elysius, along with a great number of other contemporary walking legends battled the armies of Mordru. It was there that Monius was poisoned, betrayed, although to this day he does not know by who.”
“The Emerald Eye was the most powerful tool in Mordru’s arsenal, though he could not use it himself. It was wielded by his concubines, whose direct lineage from one female to the next gave them unique genetics and inclination towards the specific type of chaos magic needed to use the eye. Thus, Mordru’s lovers from one generation to the next were his greatest generals, and their daughters, bred for this specific use (and by the best young warrior in the empire available) were trained for this their whole lives.”
“The army was successful, and Mordru was defeated. But Mordru is never truly defeated, and the Persians and Romans suffered far more in the subsequent years than on the battlefield, which was immense. In Rome, Mordru infiltrated the aristocracy and ensured the empire would stop expanding under Augustus. He corrupted the Emperor’s line, ensured madmen and puppets followed. The Persians fared no better—insurrection was a way of life.”
“Ah,” said Blok, looking down, “how time passes. The old man’s patience proved his greatest virtue once more, as years became decades and decades became centuries. Humanity approached what historians call the Middle Ages, although in the middle of what, I cannot say accurately. Rome fell to inside corruption and outside pressure. North of it, a new kingdom arose in a people once believed to be Barbarians, but just as sophisticated and incredibly similar to the Romans. A mixture of this Barbarian blood, Roman aristocracy and a unique Middle-Eastern heritage among the ruling class. Venegar was its name. Mordru’s female generals had created their own empire, using what was left of ancient Roman aristocratic blood to inter-mix with their own. Mordru, of course, truly pulled the strings. Later, with an early Frank element, the name “Romanescue” became the family name, to signify the Roman heritage. Each Empress ruled her kingdom with an iron grip, terrorizing her subjects with the powerful Emerald Eye of Ekron. History has forgotten this era as well.”
Jacquie looked on quietly, as they all did. It seemed too far-fetched to be remotely real. They were no scholars—most of them where young kids. But it just didn’t seem right. Blok could sense this. “Mordru’s abilities are stronger than you think young ones. Venegar as very real, and lasted for a long-time. When Charlemagne finally decided to crush it, Mordru’s enemies saw that they had a window of opportunity, and they rushed to join him. I fought once more against the Dark Lord, and once more the struggle was immense. He withdrew to his true home, in the Peninsula to the Middle East, near Babylon and the Dead Sea.
“But after all those long centuries, the Empresses had been defeated. The Eye had been captured. A unique group of us set out to hide it from Mordru, for getting it out of his hands was our greatest concern, since destroying such an artifact is impossible. He would look for it for the next centuries, undoubtedly. Most likely, looking to control it himself. The people of Venegar were consumed by the other empires of the day, though a small group moved on, under the protection of Charlemagne for the role they played in the downfall of the House of Romanescue. With their spectacular magic abilities, which had mastered the art of illusion, the family of Proiectra was raised to the rank of king and queen of a new order, and settled in the area of Moldavia. With heritage as far-reaching as Ancient Rome, citizens of their nation, which would spread far and wide over this part of the world, would one day create a community they referred to as Romania. The Romanescue’s line was not broken, however. And it became the traditional duty of the heirs of Proiectra to oversee the heirs of Romanescue.”
“It is without doubt that the war-torn and violent history of that region must somehow be linked with the interest of Mordru himself in it. His agents roamed there for years and tried all manner of ways to serve his will. The legends there can verify…strigoia, or undead, or vampires, or whatever you call them carried out his will for centuries. The Europeans and Austrians had an interest, as did the Russians and the Greek Byzantines before them. For every war fought in that region, some force has looked for the Eye there.”
Now Blok was silent. No one spoke. “Two thousand years have passed since Monius Elysius began his slumber and the world has not stopped. It has moved forward and immense time has passed. A quiet war, which at times has been anything but, has raged in humanities name. On side stood all who stood for freedom, most all long dead. On the other side stood Mordru, who still stands and still continues his plotting, often winning for long periods of time. And now, quite suddenly, young heroes such as yourself have begun to appear all over the world. Even now, the Legion of Super-Heroes continues to form in New York, presenting what could be the single most powerful assembling of warriors in the history of man. Here, on the other side of the world, a group of young warriors has coincidently come together, as if fate decided that those with a unique connection to Mordru should meet face to face and discuss if this is the time to finally end his reign.”
“You think fate has brought us together, to battle Mordru then?” asked Mon.
“I think that for whatever reason, the very fact that we are all here together means we have a responsibility to do so. Here before me stands the daughter of Mordru,” said Blok, looking at Mysa. “And she is as pure and benevolent a spirit as these ages old eyes have ever seen. How could it be that so vicious a man could produce so good a child? There is hope. And now is the time to act on it. The planet has decided it can take it no more. Fate, coincidence, evolution and history have collided and a war is coming. Mordru knows this and sees this. He will act on it. It is up to us to respond.”
Ten Zil looked at Maziah, saying little. She knew what they were thinking. She looked at Blok. A tear ran down her cheek. “I…I…I’ve always known that he was not a good man. I just never knew…” Tenz walked over to her and hugged her. Jacquie held her hand and Tatiana walked over too. “I know he sees the world as his…I…believe you Blok.”
“I know child,” said Blok. “All these millennia and he’s never had children. Perhaps this was why. Perhaps he knew that despite all he has convinced himself of, he knew that in his heart he was wrong and his children would see that. And that can make all the difference.” And then Blok put his hand around Maziah’s, and she looked up at him, the tears stopping. “I see hope in your eyes Maziah, and I feel re-energized. I believe in it too.”
Jacquie gave Maziah a big hug now, as Dirk turned to Tatiana. “So, Mordru, enemy of humanity for over two thousand years? Ha! I’m a male model! I’ll show him what tough is.”
Tenz smiled and now he talked, “I just want to say that I’m glad I ran into you people in Seoul. In case life was so dull with the torture thing, I’m glad I have this end of the world thing to think about.” They laughed, and even Maziah smiled.
Tatiana smiled at Blok. “This is called gallows humor,” she said, adding “it means it will take us all a long time to process it.”
“Good,” thought Blok, “because there is still so much I have yet to tell you…”
“Hey,” said Hasim. “So this means we’re at war?”
“We’ve always been at war,” said Mon, cutting in, “now we just know we’re fighting for something worth dying over.”
[ February 15, 2008, 12:03 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Warning: This is 3000 words, on top of the 1500 of part 1. Don't read unless you have a few minutes spare
Inside the party room, things were getting busy. As Leviathan entered, everything was ready and everyone but Dox, Kinetix (gone to fetch Dox), & Trinity were there now.
Shifter was running the "traditional party games" he'd insisted on having - when it was pointed out to him by one of the staff how many of the people there could cheat, never mind how silly it was for a group of late-teenagers to be bobbing for apples, etc, he just replied, "Well, we shall just have to hope they won't, shan't we" with a twinkle in his eye, ignoring the latter part.
Just then, Trinity entered the room. Trinity-Neutral was in the lead of the three, resplendent in a deep green wig and flowing green Polaris costume and cape, showing a fair amount of smooth skin. T-Orange followed closely behind, wearing a far more modest, even baggy, two-tone blue Shadowcat costume - strictly speaking, she should also have worn a long, curly wig, but she had foregone this in favour of her own, short hair. T-Purple then followed last - not because of any modesty, her choice of costume precluded that - but because she wanted to be seen freely in her Wonder Woman red and gold bustier and boots, with only blue and white bikini bottoms covering her modesty, and she didn't want the other two to distract from her.
"Hola mi señora," Cos greeted her, and kissed T-Purple, T-Orange and T-Neutral's hands in turn. "Nice," T-Purple said, "so what do you do for an encore?"
---------------
"Go on, say it!" Kinetix could be heard to shout. "If you pick that costume, you have to say it!"
"Okay, okay..." the guy in the Wolverine costume paused before adopting a pose and saying "Rarr... I'm the best there is at what I do!" Numerous camera phones could be heard clicking
"AndjustwhatDOyoudoChuck?" Jenni was giggling so hard at Rebound's self-effacement she forgot to slow her speech down again.
"Why, my dear Miss Flash, you have to ask?" Chuck said in a mock-poshEnglish voice before bouncing over her head and down the room.
---------------
Jan and Sally, dressed as matching Wonder Twins, were both a bit shy at parties, but were trying their best to stay the course, minding Shifter's games for a few minutes to give him a chance to mingle.
Right now, that meant Ultraboy, clothed in a yellow and blue Sentry costume - though he'd forgone the blond wig that came with it - was engaged in a friendly arm-wrestling competition with a Thing-shaped Shifter, neither giving an inch, as Kinetix, talking to Jazmin about nothing in particular, grew tired of her green and gold Phoenix costume and telekinetically remade it into a purple, blue and yellow Batgirl suit without pausing for breath as she talked.
---------------
"Are the arms comfortable then?"
"Fairly. They're a bit heavy, but..."
"Sorry, I know. Not much I could do on short notice though. What made you pick that character anyway?"
Nura bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal, Dreamer, grinned and replied "I saw it in a dream"
Lyle Norga, Invisible Kid, smiled back, "That settled it for you then, huh?"
"Always."
Kinetix was leaning against the bar sipping lemonade, now dressed in a Hawkwoman costume complete with wings, watching Lyle examine the four posable extra arms he'd made for Nura's Spiral costume she'd done the rest of, when Catalyst came over to get a drink.
"Those two have been spending a lot of time together recently, haven't they? It can't just be the arms, I bet they must be up to something..."
"Don't think Lyle goes for her type myself," Catalyst smirked.
_____________________________
"Waiter!" Enrapture called.
"Yes...?" the waiter came over, his low voice dragging behind him.
"I'm ready to order. Could I have the gazpacho soup please, followed by a fillet steak, rare, thank you."
"Of course, madam..." the waiter noted down and walked away, as Enrapture overheard him thinking «...and so he goes about his menial task, not stopping to ask for respect or even a moment's relief from the terrible pain down his left side.»
Trinity-Neutral caught her glance at him and said, "Don't worry, we don't like him much either, and he certainly doesn't like us. No-one seems to know why though."
Enrapture regarded T-Neutral for a second and asked, "Have you been getting many headaches recently?"
Lorna-N shifted slightly in her seat, slightly uncomfortable at the sudden change of subject. "Now and then - why?"
Enrapture put on her best apologising face and said, "Oh, nothing, just that I'm getting feedback from your headache right now and I'm just curious if there's a problem."
"Oh yeah, you're the Workforce's telepath, aren't you? Rapture or whatever."
"ENrapture." Meta's carefully-judged smile dropped ten degrees. "I was just wondering if I could help?"
T-Neutral shuddered slightly. Something about Enrapture didn't seem right. "No thanks, I'm okay."
Meta said "Fine," out loud, and «Drat» inwardly. Fulfilling her mission was going to be harder than she'd thought.
---------------
"So, how long have you been a member of the Workforce, anywhy?"
"'Anyway'..." Spark felt trapped, between Spirit - who just would not shut up - on one side and Dox, who between eating and staring at Andromeda didn't seem to want to utter a word. "...and its been a couple of months since it was set up." Spirit seemed just a bit too friendly, and it was rubbing her the wrong way. She decided to try and shake Dox out of his trance.
"Ow!"
"Oh, sorry." She'd made a little spark - just big enough to catch his attention and no more - jump from her elbow to him as she'd taken a bite of her meal, "I usually catch that before it happens, my mind must have been a thousand years away." Inwardly she winced at the way she'd said that - it made her sound like some sort of ditz.
He glared at her for a moment, but his voice said "It's okay."
"Dox, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Ah. One of the Trinities was saying to call you 'Brainy', but I thought I remembered. How're'you?"
Dox mentally added a tick to Trinity-Purple's 'Brainy file' for future use. "Not too bad, you?"
"Okay." This wasn't going well, she thought, then remembered an argument she'd had with Polarity a couple of days previously, "I was having a debate with someone else the other day about computers that could think for themselves. I thought they were pure sci-fi, he thought it wasn't far off. Given how smart you are, I was wondering if you had any thoughts about it?"
"Crude versions already exist, actually, that can think on the level of rodents. If you mean human-level sentience, the problem is the hardware..."
"Not fast enough?"
"Yes and no. Getting hold of enough processors and batteries to keep them going would be difficult, but they're simply badly designed for the task. Binary processors simply don't work like the human brain. Supercomputers are objectively far more powerful than a human, but making one truly sentient would be difficult, and waste much of the power."
"So..." Spark twirled some spaghetti round her fork, placed it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed before continuing, "...couldn't you just design your own processor if you're as smart as you're meant to be?"
"Certainly, but I haven't tried as there's no point - I have no means of manufacturing such a processor, and no way to obtain such means. The capacity does not exist, and persuading a manufacturer of processors to create it would be a hopeless task without essentially paying for the whole thing. Sentient machines are an intellectual challenge, but have at most niche appeal - a machine that could disobey orders or neurotically obsess about its' task would be of no value," he finished and bit into the chicken.
Spark suddenly remembered the Talkie Toaster and sniggered, "There's that. Still, I'm sure there must be things they'd be useful for - space probes at distances with a huge time lag in the signal and other stuff where people couldn't send people but wanted to. Plus gimmicky toys - although that might count as cruelty to toys," she smiled and ate more pasta.
Even Dox couldn't suppress a chortle at the last one, as visions of stuffed toys marching for Toy Emancipation danced across his mind.
_____________________________
Sally was nervously trying to get a dance with someone, and finally plucked up the courage... "Hi... José, isn't it? Do you wa..."
She'd made a bad choice. "No," Ultraboy said as he walked straight past her, heading for Spirit.
"Y'wanna dance doll?"
Spirit looked him over for a moment. "Yes, I love to dance. To walk on air, to feel the rhythm of the music," she glanced over at Vi as Ultraboy reached for her, "but you could not keep up with me," and Ultraboy stumbled and fell as she suddenly wasn't solid for Ultraboy to grab. Leaving Jose sprawled on the floor, she walked over to Vi and Kinetix.
---------------
Reflecto was hiding in the toilet, hoping the little silver pest would finally leave him alone.
"Hey!?"
«Oh no.» He stood up and looked down.
From the bottom of the bowl, the voice came up. "What's takin' you so long anyway? Come on, hurry up!"
This was too much for Reflecto. He yanked up his trousers and ran out as fast as he could, Quislet innocently following behind.
A few minutes later, Leviathan came in to use the same toilet, and noticing the smell glanced into the bowl, grimaced and flushed the plug before using the toilet. «I do wish people would flush the toilet once they're finished,» he thought.
---------------
Dragonmage and Valor were standing off to the side, both drinking plain water. Neither were speaking, both understanding that the other didn't want to be there either, but had been dragged along by their respective teams, and were taking refuge as best they could out of the way.
---------------
«Come on Paul, just ask her,» Polarity thought, playing around with his mask. He was watching Spark dance - somewhat carefully, given her costume - with Invisible Kid, and trying very hard to pluck up the courage to ask her to dance.
Eventually, the song finished and Ella and Lyle went their separate ways. Deciding that it was now or never, he strode over as confidently as he could muster and asked her for a dance. She assented with a smile, and they headed out to the middle of the floor. Even then, the song was nearly finished by the time Polarity got round to speaking.
"So, Ella..."
"Paul?"
"I was wondering - would you like to go out some time, the two of us I mean?"
"Sure, we hang about together most of the time anyway."
"No, I mean out to dinner, sorta."
Suddenly, it clicked in Ella's head. She struggled to find the right words, "I'm sorry Paul... but I just don't think of you that way"
Polarity tried hard not to look as if Spark hadn't just sent him into a deep dark pit of despair, and failed miserably.
"I'm sorry," she said and meant it, as she pulled him close in a big, but unmistakably platonic, hug.
Polarity was in two minds about how to react. On the one hand, he felt like he was being pitied, or patronised. On the other, he wished she would never let go.
---------------
Dox, forcibly clothed in a Superboy costume, complete with black leather jacket, kept trying to speak to Andromeda, but it seemed like every time he plucked up the courage, someone else got a dance off her, or called her over to the other end of the room for something.
He was not having a good time.
---------------
As Dox was thinking this, Andromeda was dancing with a somewhat nervous Blizzard, who was trying very hard not to stare at the hole for her cleavage - not helped in the least by the fact that she was considerably taller than him - when something outside the building caught Andromeda's eye as she absent-mindedly cycled to her X-ray vision. "Excuse me please," she said to Blizzard, ran out at top speed while pulling her cape into a makeshift hood - she didn't want recognised, in that costume, and caught Reflecto, who was bouncing up past the fortieth floor as she reached him.
"I. Do. NOT. Want. To. Know." Andromeda was livid as she took Reflecto's gun and remaining sword off him, flew into the building and locked him in a broom cupboard, picking up the sword he'd dropped in the lobby earlier as she headed back to the party.
At this, Reflecto actually relaxed. Out of the way like this, he felt safe.
"Whatcha doin' hiding in here?" something in the dark, dark cupboard went.
---------------
Spark was still bummed from the talk with Polarity. She loved the guy - just not in "that way" - and seeing him that down made her feel down. But saying yes when she hadn't meant it would have been worse long-term after all... right?
"Ella!"
She looked around to see who was calling her. Garth's timing stunk.
"Garth, please, I'm not in the mood right now."
"Ella, we've got to sort this out, we can't let this go on."
"Garth, please, not right now." Spark's tone was low and tired, but Garth seemed to miss it completely.
"Ella, I'm sorry about before, and I'm sorry I left you behind, and..."
"Garth, please..." Ella's voice was strained, not with anger, just with exhaustion, "not now."
Garth stopped and watched as Ella walked over to the edge of the room and slumped in a seat. His head fell.
"You're pushing too hard, you know."
Garth heard Irma's voice, but didn't look up, until he felt her hand grab his. "What am I meant to do, just pretend I didn't see her?"
The speakers started playing Free as a Bird, and Irma pulled him onto the dance floor so he'd have to look at her. "Garth, she'll come around, but you'll have to give her time. If you go up to her and say 'We make up now or we never will', y..."
"But I di..."
"Shhh..." Irma raised one finger and pressed it to his lips. "I know. But even if that's not what you said, it's what she heard. And if you care as much as I think you do, you have to accept that your snapping your bond like that really hurt her, and you can't just say 'I'm sorry' and expect her to forgive you."
Garth knew that Irma was right, but... "It hurts."
"It should hurt, Mister Raines," Irma smiled and moved closer, "After all, you wouldn't want to make the mistake again, would you now?"
"Wouldn't I need someone to make the mistake with first, Miss Ardeen?" Garth had caught on, and his smile was building too.
Irma looked at him, at his piercing blue eyes. After she'd escaped from Cadmus, from Checkmate, Garth and Rex were the first two guys she'd actually got to know, which made them the first two guys she'd really met in almost six years between the isolation, training and time as an agent. During her imprisonment, she'd found Maizah and her other telepathic friends, but they were all girls. During her brief, horrid time as an agent, she'd been forced to search through the minds of men and women, and seen all sorts of lives, of love, of abuse, of death and of heartbreak. None of which she'd expected to have until she met Garth and felt... something... at first sight. Not love, not then, but something. Over time, he'd driven her nuts more than once, playing the fool, calling her "Satin Girl," playing up to the crowd, but she'd also talked, really talked to him, and on the plane when Cos had been knocked out and she'd taken over and he reassured her, something jumped between them.
His breath was ragged, and so was hers. Neither of them were aware of all the eyes turned in their direction, when suddenly, simultaneously, their lips melded into one.
---------------
Ella saw Garth and Irma's kiss. She was happy for her brother, but between her talks with Paul and him, she felt so, so very drained. So, at that moment, while all eyes were seemingly elsewhere, she slipped out of the room.
Paul saw it too and watched Ella slip away. He wanted to follow her with all his heart, but knew that if he did, they'd both probably end up feeling worse rather than better. So he stood where he was, while his brother noticed his drooping head and clasped his arm around his shoulder.
Enrapture then took advantage of the preoccupation of the crowd in general and Cos in particular, heading in the direction of Trinity-Neutral. She found her standing in a corner, sipping lemonade and brooding, as Lorna had done a lot since her capture, and it took Meta only a second to ensorcel her through the trapdoor left in Trinity's mind. Silently, Neutral went and collected her two "sisters" to allow Enrapture to collect the inside information on the Legion McCauley demanded. After that, what happened depended on Meta's mood...
_______________________
Later, the party was at an end. Reflecto had been retrieved from the broom cupboard, and if he was even more incoherent than normal no-one noticed. Dragonmage showed every sign of someone who was just glad to be out of there, and gave a nod to Valor as he was leaving, while Spark and Polarity's moods were both through the floor, Ultraboy was in a sulk and Andromeda was still livid at Reflecto. Only Enrapture showed any sign of satisfaction.
As the helicopter took off again, Reflecto finally thought it was safe to relax. Then his mask said "Bye friend," at which he pulled it off, threw it on the floor and had to be physically restrained by Andromeda to avoid him jumping on it. It would be a while before he recovered from his party.
[PS: Thanks to Cobalt for a couple of ideas I used in here, and apologies to the New Mutants writers for one small scene I stole outright ]
[ November 01, 2005, 05:22 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
"Is the cloning done?" His voice had an odd echo to it.
"Not the word "clone". Please. I doubled you. I...twinned you. Equal and original..."
Mark opened his eyes, and saw himself.
They laughed.
[ November 02, 2005, 05:47 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Andromeda felt the impact and turned so that the bullets would ricochet upwards, while scanning for the source.
Dragonmage simply floated as the bullets touched his skin, lost all momentum and fell to the ground.
Enrapture dived into the hollow at her feet and stayed there.
Polarity threw up a shield to protect himself and Spark, who was behind him.
Reflecto asked, "Hey, isn't that a Lockstock 2502 firing .22 SupaAccura cartridges? Nice choice. I wanted one, well two actually, but..."
Ultraboy fell. Hard. _________________________
"Are you mine?"
"Yes Meta"
"Always and forever for as long as I please?"
"Yes, Meta," Ultraboy replied and meant it
"Yesssss...." _________________________
It was a standard outdoor training day for the Workforce. At that moment, the seven of them were scattered all over the field, Dragonmage, Andromeda and Ultraboy in the air, Polarity and Spark - awkward around each other since the Hallowe'en party - at one end, Reflecto at the other, and Enrapture in the middle, and the first six were practising long-range attacks on a series of targets while Enrapture gauged their responses for report to McCauley later. Simple stuff. Routine - boring even.
It stopped being boring at 1438 hours, when a hail of bullets came from the bushes, with the seven Workforcers in the line of fire. Six of the seven escaped injury. Ultraboy, in flight and thus not invulnerable, was hit by at least four bullets, three glancing blows - one to the head - and one which lodged in his shoulder. He fell twenty feet before landing with a crack.
Dragonmage, Spark and Polarity rushed over to the fallen body, while Andromeda and Reflecto went hunting for the shooter and Enrapture stood stock still - her mind may not have been a million miles away, but it was not in her body.
As he reached Ultraboy, Dragonmage cast a spell to stall his injuries. Spark, worried, asked why he couldn't just heal him. Dragonmage said simply that he didn't know how.
Meanwhile, Andromeda had found and disarmed the machinegunman.
"Bring him to me." Enrapture demanded.
Andromeda complied, dropping him roughly at her feet, as medical personnel rushed to examine the severely injured Ultraboy. Their response time would later find them out of a job.
"He is a radical anti-vivisectionist," Enrapture said, looking into his mind. "When he was a child, he kept rabbits. Two years ago, an old college friend of his visited him and convinced him to join the organisation of which he was part, based partially on this childhood idyll.
Three months ago, he took a job here as a janitor, aiming to assassinate Leonard McCauley over his ownership of several breeding farms for vivisection labs and several actual laboratories, using a relationship with a security officer to smuggle the gun in without being searched.
Two days ago, he became tired of waiting for McCauley to come here and decided to direct his frustrations at us instead."
The others began to react, but Enrapture was done talking to them.
"Kneel," Enrapture ordered him, and he fell to his knees. «He was mine,» she added telepathically, «You do not break what's mine and get away with it.»
A rabbit came hopping along the ground and paused just in front of him. Enrapture transmitted an image of what he would soon be doing.
"NO! No" - he was suddenly cut off.
"And you will enjoy every second of it."
The others stood frozen, even Reflecto stunned into silence. Prevented from interfering by Enrapture; Andromeda, Spark and Polarity looked away, while Reflecto and Dragonmage continued to watch.
"Begin."
_________________
"...could you please repeat that?" Even Leonard McCauley was shocked as his underling repeated what Enrapture had done in vengeance.
"Plus, apparently every time he sees a rabbit, or even reads or hears the word "rabbit", he'll relive the experience and how much he enjoyed it."
McCauley took off his glasses and polished them with his handkerchief. Remembering what he'd done and was continuing to do to Mano; and what the gunmen had planned - and thus what he'd probably have done had Enrapture not done what she had - he decided that Enrapture would suffer no penalty, but even by his standards...
"...daughter I never had," he muttered, then looked up.
"So, Ultraboy..."
"Yes sir - all news of the incident has been suppressed so far, and the surgeons brought in have all signed Non-Disclosure Agreements."
"Any next-of-kin to cause trouble?"
"Not that we've found, sir, although in light of events, we're obviously rechecking. Right now though, he supposedly has fourteen mothers, and twenty-two fathers, half or which watched 'their son' grow up. None are expected to be genuine."
"What is his condition?"
"Comatose. Right now, it's 50-50 whether he'll last through the night, although if he does, the long term prognosis is expected to be good."
"We are committed?"
"Yes, sir."
McCauley's face showed the irritation, and he sat through the rest of the report in silence. After finding there were no decisions to be made bar the obvious sacking of the medical team - the question of a replacement waiting until a fuller report on Ultraboy's condition was available, and unfortunately the security guard had already been arrested - McCauley sat up and pressed a button on his wristwatch. Five seconds later, a lilac-skinned elven girl appeared.
He uttered the single word of command "Home," and closed his eyes as she threw a spear at him.
He felt a slight thump, and found himself on the chaise-longue in his anteroom. He stood, and walked through the corridors of his home until he reached the door to his garden, which he proceeded to walk through. He then walked through the immaculately-trimmed garden to one very special statue.
Few knew of the statue's true nature. Fewer still knew of it's location. He had first heard rumours of its existence some years before and spent a good deal of time, effort and money to acquire it, and he visited it often to relax.
The inscription read simply:
"CORPORAL JAMES BARNES. BUCKY. A HERO TO THE END."
And what an end, eh, he thought - not for the first time, patting the statue's arm before turning away.
[ December 12, 2011, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Interlude
“We are so going to be in trouble for this,” smiled Lyle, and Nura couldn’t suppress her giggle. They had been planning it for weeks, and if Gene or even Cos caught wind of it, there’d be hell to pay. But neither Nura or Lyle were one to sit around and wait for clearance. Leadership came in many different forms.
Nura’s concern for her sister had encompassed every waking thought she had for the last ten weeks. Now, finally, she was going to do something about it. She knew Lyle would be the perfect person to help her, even if neither of them would going on this little ‘espionage mission’.
Before them stood four more Legionnaires: Spirit, Catalyst, Valor and Shrinking Violet.
“A-are you sure this is OK?” said Sally, and Val couldn’t help but suppress a small smile.
“Thank you all so much for doing this,” said Nura. “I cannot tell you what it means to me, that you’d help me like this.”
“Your sister is in trouble Nura,” said Valor. “That is enough.”
“It’s our pleasure Nura,” answered Tina. “and most of us are just sitting around here these days with nothing to do while Cos sorts out our problems with UN and the Health regulators.”
Lyle nodded. “There isn’t a monopoly on power around here. Gene will be furious, but Nura and I will cover for you. You four are about to undergo the first unofficial espionage squad mission, which includes a trip halfway around the world.”
Val could notice Sally visibly shaken.
“We’re Legionnaires,” said Tina, ever confident. “We can handle the travel.”
“I wish you could use your flight rings,” said Nura, “but you know the problems we’ve been having. The Health Regulators are saying that they’re too dangerous and the UN had to confiscate them all. We’ve had so much trouble getting good technology…”
“It’s a constant struggle,” said Lyle. “Which is why I happened to sneak out four flight rings before all Brainy’s stuff was searched through. But you don’t need them, you need stealth. Get out there un-detected. You all don’t know this, but Nura and Irma have been able to telepathically communicate with their friends across the world for years, and now something has cut off that connection. You need to find out what, and find Nura’s sister Maziah. Good luck.”
With that, they said some brief goodbyes, as Catalyst gave Lyle a hug and the invisible hero could whisper “be careful…please.” Nura held Tina close too. “Thank you for doing this,” almost surprised the young heroine agreed so eagerly. There was a strength of character to Spirit that most might not see at first. Tina smiled. Val simply nodded. Sally seemed lost in the shuffle, unsure of why she was going along.
They were off. Taxi by night, plane by day with regular plain tickets and passports, created specially by Lyle these past few weeks. Not the most cosmic way, but certainly efficient.
Lyle turned to Nura and smiled. She smiled back. “We’re in so much trouble.”
End interlude Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Sakkim, India
“Beautiful,” said Maziah taking in all the images around her. “Simply beautiful.”
It had been another ten days since they left Japan, on the road traveling, trying to figure out how to get from Japan to England, without having to pass through Mordru’s part of the world in the process. It was Jacquie who suggested Sakkim, one of the most beautiful parts of India. Known as the “Land of the Mountain Crests”, it is one of the richest parts of India in terms of diverse culture, as well as one of the most central places of the massive country in terms of connections to the rest of the world.
“Good choice,” said Dirk, “I want to try and get into the famous ‘Sky Café’ in Gangtok which I’ve read about. It’s supposed to be as chic as it gets.”
“I’ve read about it too,” said Tatiana, “it’s a place that used to cater to more locals, offering the traditional Himalayan hospitality that the area is known for. In recent years it has become *thee* place for business men, intellectuals and college students too…it’s one of those rare places that is like a center for its time. I’m interested in going there myself.”
And so they choose to come this path, which was not easy. Some quiet boat rides combined with some harsh climbing and attempting to find rides. The Princess’ money was running out. Maybe it was better to have Mon fly them around the world, one by one…
“Wow…we are definitely spending a few days here,” said Tenz.
“Days?” said Hasim “More like weeks…smell that air…”
It smelled unbelievable. Clean, fresh, but with hints of spices like cinnamon and tea. It just felt…uplifting. These past few ten days had not been easy on them. The full notion of what Blok had told them had begun to set in, and they had come to realize they were playing in the grandest of all chess games, with the largest of all prizes. There was an air of dread the would continually make the rounds among them, and would take someone to fit off and lift people’s spirits. Ten Zil’s humor had become a reliable source of escapism, as had Dirk’s cockiness. Jacquie and Ten Zil had recently both just lost their fathers and Ten Zil’s family was still missing. Mon-El was still accepting that he missed two thousand years of history and no one knew much at all about Hasim. Maziah would be quiet for long periods of time, coming to terms with the idea that she was now actively working against her own father. It was not the most easy-going group of teen-agers, who are not ordinarily easy-going in the first place.
They had climbed some portions of mountains, but relied mainly by travel on boat when possible. The journey would only get harder, when they moved from India to Russia. But that was for later. Now, they had approached Sakkim, a beautiful area of the world, which was exactly what they needed after exhausting themselves with quiet travel. The boat they were on was reaching its destination.
Tatiana stood and watched the view, very quiet. Her skin had progressively gotten more and more pale, and had now turned to a shade of very light blue. It had begun to unnerve her greatly. Was she becoming some type of freak? The air was crisp and she felt a chill for a moment. Behind her was Mon-El, standing up-right and tense, not letting the cold wind bother him at all. He stood close to her, but did not touch her. But she could swear she felt his warmness near her. He was quiet too.
“So, the Sky Café then Princess?” said Dirk, with a mock-air about him, enjoying calling Jacquie Princess.
She gave him a sarcastic, but amused smile. “Yes, brave knight,” she said, evidently tired of being called Princess. It was also evident, Tenz noted, that the two were speaking again. He first thought there was some sort of mutual attraction between these two, but wasn’t sure anymore. It may just be a growing, strong friendship.
“Have you been to Sakkim, Blok?” asked Tenz.
“There is very few places on this planet I have not been,” he said, to which Hasim rolled his eyes. Blok sensed it. “But I enjoy the mountainside very much” he added, offering to show a more human side to his personality.
“It is quite beautiful,” said Maziah. Jacquie smiled and held Maziah’s arm. Tenz could seek Hasim actively not getting too close to Maziah, not comfortable to be around the daughter of Mordru. Ten Zil was unsure how to feel. He liked her and at this point in time, that was enough. He had come to accept his life would never be normal again…he may as well ensure that he separates out the weirdness of this new life from the friends he would find there.
“Maybe we can spend a quiet few days in Gangtok then,” said Dirk. “You know, without getting attacked?”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Gangtok was equally as beautiful. What was awaiting them at the dock, however, caught them unaware.
For a little city on the edge of the Himmalyia mountains, word evidently got around very quickly. Jat Amarjeet, whose role in the city amounted to him being similar to a ‘prefect’ was waiting for them at the dock. Evidently, the ships captain had called ahead of time to let him know that the Moldavian royal Princess was on board. Someone (Dirk or Ten Zil) had let it slip.
“Welcome,” he smiled as the departed the boat and entered the city for the first time. “Welcome to Gangtok.” Jat Amarjeet was a nice man, who seemed please that he could meet them as they entered and offer them hospitality in the city. Hasim thought he was being nothing more than a politician and a businessman, selling the richness of the city for whatever he could. Whatever the mans intentions, they were strictly for his own benefit.
Minutes earlier, Blok had wished them farewell, telling them he’d see them inside the city. Then, amazing the other, he leaped into the water. As Jacquie, Maziah, Dirk and Tenz went out to greet the prefect (for lack of a better term), Tatiana, however, tied to slip past very quickly. Her appearance was making her increasingly uneasy.
“Tatiana, wait,” said Mon, speaking up.
“Mon, I just want to get situated. I don’t feel like being—“
“I’ll go with you,” he said, with some finality. He was not going to argue.
”Ok,” she smiled.
“Ah, you will need a place to stay,” said Amarjeet. “I will gladly find you lodging for your stay here. It is a beautiful city and you should enjoy a quiet time while you are away. This is a vacation, princess?”
“Yes,” said Jacquie without missing a beat, “we are all away on holiday, for, er,--“
“Spring break,” said Dirk finishing for her. “Did the whole Central American-Caribbean thing. Ditto for Mediterranean. Now we’re checking out India, to see what’s going on.”
“I…see,” said Amarjeet, evidently not prepared for that comment. “There is plenty to see here, many beautiful things.”
“We’re really looking forward to the Sky Café,” said Maziah, “we’ve heard so much about it.”
Amarjeet smiled. “Of course. Everybody goes to the Sky Café! It’s unlike anywhere else truly…scholars, businessmen, young people. I can say right now you will find it most enjoyable. I, myself, may stop by tonight and see how the evening crowds are dining. Come now, let’s find you lodging.”
------------------
”Wow Jacquie,” said Dirk, “remind me to always travel with you. We’re like celebrities here.”
“Which is exactly what we didn’t want,” she replied. They were in her hotel suite, which was immaculate. “It’s sufficient to say there will be a certain amount of attention on us while we’re here.”
“In that case then,” he added as Hasim walked in, giving Dirk an annoyed look. “We’ll have to make the best of it,” and Dirk followed by pouring two large glasses of lush wine. “Sorry Hasim, I couldn’t find a third glass.”
“I thought Americans couldn’t drink until they were 21?” said Hasim.
“Well, we’re not in America, are we? With the wait of the world on our shoulders, we’ll need to loosen up a bit for a few days anyway…”
-------------------
“Tatiana,” said Maziah, “you are coming out tonight.”
“No, Maziah. I’m not. I have no desire at all anymore.”
“But only hours ago you were talking about this “Sky Café. You need to come out. We all do.”
“I’d prefer to stay in tonight, I’m afraid.”
“Tatiana,” said Maziah, getting close to her. “I know its bothering you. But its not as bad as you think. You should come out, get your mind off your skin. No one will bother us. Trust me, of all people, I want to crawl in the corner and hide away from everyone. I’ve hardly ever been social in my life. But I think it will be good for us.”
Tatiana smiled. A tear formed in her eye. “Ok,” she said.
-------------------
“He knows much more than he’s letting on,” said Mon-El to Ten Zil.
“What?” replied Tenz. “Who?”
“Blok. There is much more to the story than he’s telling us. I’m sure you could sense it.”
“Mon, that’s so yesterday. We need to focus on going out tonight and relaxing. You can see your lady friend in a nice pretty dress…some candlelight…”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Tenz,” said Mon, “but I assume you’re referring to Tatiana,” he added. “Which my reply is then…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right,” smiled Tenz back. “Are you pouring us a drink? I don’t think I’ve ever even had a drink before?”
“No? I noticed that youths don’t drink much in this day and age. In Rome, it was fairly common for dark wines or frothy beer to be handed out to any able bodied warrior. Given my abilities and your penchant for eating cold steel, I think we count.”
“Did you just make a joke?” said Tenz in shock. “You’re right! I definitely need a drink now…”
Mon smiled, as did Tenz.
“Speaking of secret and rocky, where is he? Is he going to be able to join us? I’d hate for him to be left behind.”
“There is a patio there,” said Blok, suddenly forming out of the Earth on the mountainside by the balcony of their extravagant hotel suite. I can find myself there if you’d like to join me at some point during the night.”
Both Mon and Tenz seemed to have the same reaction of watching Blok grow out of nowhere in the middle of their conversation. Mon tensed up, and then eased himself and smiled. “We’d be delighted.”
“I’ll never get used to that.” said Tenz.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
[Looks like my turn for a long post ]
The chatter was low-level and non-stop when they entered, and would slowly grow louder and louder as the night when on, and then die down again and restart the cycle. The café gave the sense of a lot of room with high ceilings and mini-hallways everywhere connecting a maze of rooms together, each one slightly above or below the others, so no one forgot the fact that the café was brilliantly placed to fit in with the mountainside. The air was warm and breezy but every so often a cool wind would cut through the café and send a shiver down everyone’s spine.
The place was packed. There were businessman, there were professors and academics. There were young college kids, enjoying the atmosphere and discussing important topics that ranged from economic problems of the European Union to the importance of Blondie in terms of the punk movement of the late 1970’s. There were people dressed casually and some dressed nicely, and then there were people dressed like they were directly out of an old movie from the nineteen forties, in formal dinner attire and classic dresses.
Jazz music played throughout the café and permeated into every room, although it became harder to tell what direction it was coming from. Drinks were being constantly served and it was no problem for the traveling band of youths to get them if they desired. Different smoky aromas passed them by, as various tobaccos and other products were readily available. The mountain air seemed to blend nicely with them, as did the incredible array of food being served in certain sections of the café.
Some rooms gave the sense that important deals were being made. Some rooms had outright gambling, with roulette and craps tables and other things.
“Amazing,” said Mon staring ahead.
“Tell me about it,” said Dirk. “I’ve never been anywhere like this in my life, and I’ve been all over. I don’t know whether to sit and relax or explore.”
“Mm?” said Mon, not listening. He was looking ahead. Tatiana was standing with Maziah, neither aware Mon was looking in their direction. She had on a dark blue/black dress that revealed her shoulders and fit her slender, young figure, running down to her knees then slitting on the side. Maziah looked equally as beautiful in a white dress with arm length sleeves, which was not as tight fitting as Tatiana’s, and flowed below her waste.
“I see what you mean,” said Dirk with a wolf-ish grin, to which Tenz shook his head.
“It’ll never stop with you, will?” he replied
“I hope not…” smiled Dirk, and they continued on. Dirk was in a red corduroy jacket with a yellow button down shirt underneath that plainly told everyone that he was a kid who knew how to dress and knew how to look good. Tenz was in a green silk but in the fashion of traditional Vietnamese attire. Amarjeet had given them credit to buy clothes for tonight, once again showing great generosity.
A bit off, Jacquie felt herself relaxing despite herself, and drank up the energetic atmosphere of the infamous Sky Café. She smiled, and turned to see Hasim joining her. “I love it here!” she couldn’t help but say.
“I think we all do,” he replied. “it certainly is a popular place to be. Every room is as crowded as this one.” He moved a little closer to her, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Are the rumors true?” they suddenly heard a voice say. “Has a Royal Princess paid the Sky Café a visit tonight? We are greatly honored!”
“Are you the owner of this Café, sir?” said Jacquie, suddenly quite hesitant. This man was booming with confidence. Most likely in his early forties, tall, thin and fiilled with energy.
“I am. I am Khat Dharampal, and I bid you welcome to our fine Café. I can say, without any arrogance, that it is one of the finest cafes you will ever visit.”
”Thank you sir,” said Jacquie.
“Please, it’s Dharampal,” he replied, “and please, enjoy a drink for yourselves courtesy of the house.”
“Thank you,” said Hasim, “but we won’t need any special treatment,” he added.
Dharampal smiled. “I am glad, because you would not receive any. We treat any number of wealthy patrons, but to us, they are simply patrons. The less we know of them, the better. Please, enjoy,” he finished, moving on.
---------------------
“Come here,” said Tatiana to Mon and Tenz suddenly, pulling Mon along by the hand. Mon and Tenz could sense a surge of energy coming from the room Tatiana was pulling them in. “This is exciting!” she yelled back, and both the young men were glad that she was feeling better.
“This boy, they say he has extraordinary abilities,” she started, “but I’m not sure if its just parlor tricks. Backsheesh is his name.” The moved to the front of the crow and saw a boy with his legs crossed, who had a turban on his head that appeared to be hiding the fact that he had a larger than average sized head. “He says he can block any type of force thrown his way, without moving a muscle. It won’t even hit his body.”
“Is it a trick, Tatiana? Or can he do things? You know, like…”
“Like us?” said Mon. “Want me to test it?” he smiled.
“Well, sure, I mean, if you want to,” she smiled back, obviously nudging him along. Mon stepped forward, and the crowd cheered. He walked up to the boy, who looked at him strangely. The boy, it seemed could sense there was more to him. “Hello,” said Mon.
“Greetings. I’m Backsheesh,” said the boy, who Mon estimated to be around thirteen.
“You can call me Mon. Shall I test it?”
“Go ahead,” said Backsheesh. With that, Mon cocked his arm back and lightly punched into the air in front of him Backsheesh, and surprisingly felt a strong force bounce his hand back! It felt like hard concrete. Mon focused his eyes on the area. His vision was legendary in Ancient Rome—he could pinpoint things far away, and seemed to be able to see directly through stone at times. He did this now, and saw a distinct difference in the air he was looking at and the air to the sides.
“A shield of some sort…” whispered Mon to himself. “A shield of solid air…” Now, Backsheesh seemed to take notice, and actually seemed very surprised. Mon cocked his fist back again, and this time punched HARD.
*BOOM*
The noise echoed and people screamed. Backsheesh felt his body fall back a little, although the shield held up. He was more shocked than anything. Mon was smiling and laughed a little. He extended his hand and pulled the little boy up.
“How on Earth?” said the boy. “No one has ever done that…”
“I’m not like everyone else, just as you are,” said Mon. “You can call me Mon-El.”
“I’m Backsheesh, as I said,” replied the boy. “But when I perform this act, they sometimes call me ‘Kid Psycho’.” --------------------
“Looks like it’s just you and me,” said Dirk smiling to Maziah, as he took a puff from the pipe in front of him. He offered it to Maziah. She shook her head a little.
“I thought you had a thing for Jacquie?” said Maziah.
“No, not really. Jacquie is beautiful and she’s great, but I don’t think I’m ready for a girlfriend. I’m only kidding with you anyway,” he smiled. “You know, you’d think I’d be more nervous around you now that I know about your dad, but to be honest, now I feel more at ease,” he added, flashing that smile one more time, which seemed to have the effect he wanted whenever he did so. He put his arm around her for a quick half-hug.
Now she smiled, widely. “Thanks,” she said. Then she followed, “oh, what the hell. I’ll take a puff.”
“Tell me,” he said. “what do you think about Hasim?”
“Hasim? Why do you ask? He seems rough around the edges, but nice enough”
“It’s just, we know so little about him,” replied Dirk. “I don’t know…I can’t quite say what I mean.”
“I wonder if Blok is outside like he said?” she then asked, taking another puff while Dirk sipped a martini. “Lets check!”
“Blok? You’re ditching this chill session for gloom and doom?” he laughed. “Fine, fine…” he replied as she gave him a look.
----------------------
“Kid Psycho?” said Mon. “You like that name? Anyway, this is Tenz, and this is Tatiana. This is Backsheesh, although I think you can call him Kid Psycho too.”
“How do you do,” said Tatiana, adding, “so how do you do it?”
“My theory is telekinetic forcefields that you can project, which are impenetrable. A mind over matter thing.”
“…um, that’s exactly what I believe it is,” said Backsheesh.
Tatiana and Mon looked at Tenz with a half-grin, eye-brow raised look
“What? That seemed like a cool super-power…”
“What are you all doing in Sakkim?” asked the boy.
“Just passing through mainly,” said Tatiana, who admist talking to Backsheesh realized she had gotten incredibly close to Mon. She could feel his breath over neck and realized she was close in on his chest. Suddenly she became anxious and nervous, and thought about the blue pigment in her skin for the first time that night. “Why are-are you here?” she got out, kicking herself for being so hopeless.
“I live here,” he smiled. “With my father, who—ah…here he is,” finished Backsheesh, as Khat Dharampal walked by.
“More of the Princess’s friends? Great, great. I see you’ve met my son. He also appears to be different from most people,” smiled the Café-owner, obviously taking pride in this.
“I’m not sure what you mean?” said Ten Zil, trying to play that comment off.
“Sure you’re not,” replied Dharampal with a smile. “Enjoy your night Backsheesh,” he finished, moving on with vigor and energy.
“Your father knows about us?” said Tatiana.
“I’m not sure,” replied Backsheesh, oblivious to that. “He’s never mentioned it before…”
-------------------------
Hasim and Jacquie turned the corner, to see Maziah and Dirk on their way out to see if Blok was outside.
“There you guys are,” said Jacquie, “you can lost in this place!”
“Care for a drink Maziah?” said Hasim.
“Jacquie, I think these boys are trying to get us drunk,” said Maziah smiling.
“Get you drunk?” said Dirk. “Just ourselves really…”
“Is Blok out there—“ Jacquie suddenly cut her words off and looked ahead.
A crowd was dispersing as crowds tend to do, revealing a man standing to the side of the room they were in, sipping a cocktail of some kind, dressed in a full black business suit. He was Japanese, older and looked very serious and determined. They had seen him before.
“Hello children,” he said. “I had wondered where you’d gotten off to.”
It was the leader of those men in Japan. The Dark Circle.
Posted by Reboot on :
*beep* *beep* *beep*
Andromeda heat-visioned her alarm clock into oblivion, then looked at her watch to check the time. Reluctantly pulling herself out of bed (for someone who technically didn't need to sleep, she liked her eight hours a bit too much), she yawned, got another alarm clock from the bottom of her wardrobe and set the time and alarm, then went for a shower. As she was testing the water's temperature for comfort - she preferred it somewhat hotter than a "normal" person could stand - she thought about the significance of the date for her. The years had seemed a blur to her, since her parents died. She'd actually managed to get permission to visit the site herself later in the day, after the new member had turned up and been introduced. Her head drooped into the water.
Spark fried her alarm clock into oblivion, then looked at her watch to check the time. Jumping out of bed, she quickly swapped her nightshirt for T-shirt and shorts, and headed to the gym for her early morning excercise before a shower and breakfast. As she was leaving her room, she checked the date again. It was a week since Ultraboy's injuries, and he remained in a coma, and probably would for some time. They were due to be introduced to his replacement later in the day. She wondered idly what they would be like.
------------------
"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far a..."
Polarity slapped his radio-alarm off, and blinked at it as he tried to check the time. Great, he thought, and stumbled across to his bathroom to splash some water in his face, stared himself in the mirror and tried to tell himself it would be a good day, didn't believe it as he hadn't for the past week and a half, and pushed himself into the shower.
Reflecto slept right through his alarm call, as usual, woke ten minutes before he needed to be moving and had to use an electric shaver in each hand to get his face and head clean, set the shower to "Scald" and "Painfully fierce flow" to sandblast the sweat off his body, got dressed quickly and was out the door in 9 minutes 59 seconds as usual.
------------------
""
Dragonmage woke precisely on time without the need for an alarm, stared at the perfect visage in the mirror for a few moments, muttered a few words and was clean and dressed without the need for a shower before heading out the door.
------------------
"dum-dum-ih-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-dum-dum-dum..."
Enrapture awoke, left the music on, walked to the bathroom and poured a hot bath, which she added various oils to before slipping in. Once in, she thought about a replacement for Ultraboy... damn the rabbitman. Still, she had a replacement in mind.... _________________________________
Trinity awoke with a groan to a pounding headache, which her reflexive splitting only made three times worse. T-Neutral blinked at the clock - she should have been up hours before, and she remerged to take an asprin before splitting again to take showers. Bad start to the day. _________________________________
"So team, today we begin 'Operation: Animal Rights,'" Mano opened
"So team, today we begin 'Operation: Gut the fuzzylovers'!" Micro parroted. In response to Mano's blank stare - did he have any other expression? - he added, "Come on - you know that's exactly what it is, so why bother with the straight back and pointy stick?" Then he had a thought, "No offence Wolf." Wolf just sighed.
"As you may know," Mano continued, "last week a member of our sister team, Ultraboy, was shot on their training ground by a member of the group in question. Our Overlord, knowing the bullets were originally intended for himself,..." Mano paused for a moment to savour the idea, "has thus ordered us to wipe the group from the face of the Earth. Any questions?"
"Yeah, can I kill them with a walk in their brain this time? You never let me do that!"
"Any other questions before I continue?"
"Just one," Wolf's gruff voice piped up, "Four of us against how many?"
"I will be coming to that. Tellus, do you have anything to add?"
"Why would I at this point?" Tellus didn't speak, but his words rang through their heads.
More routine training, Spark sighed as she looked at the schedule over. Ever since Ultraboy had been shot, their public appearances had been cut down, partially in an attempt to cut speculation on José's whereabouts.
The first to arrive, she saw the others come down one-by-one, with Polarity second-last.
Talking to Enrapture.
Spark blinked. Enrapture had never spoken more than two words to Paul before now. What the hell...? _________________________________
Trinity sat eating alone. Cos had left a note saying the group had been called to something somewhere or other, and they'd tried to wake her but couldn't. Since Cos had written it, it was probably true. It still hurt though - surely they could have tried harder? _________________________________
Spark was trying to have a word with Polarity as they waited in the rec room for their new teammate to arrive, but he seemed to be avoiding her. Granted, the two had been a bit... awkward... around each other since Hallowe'en, but even now this wasn't like him. Was something going on with him and Enra...
McCauley himself walked in and called them to attention at that moment.
"As you know," he began, "since the... unfortunate incident with Ultraboy last week, we have been searching the lists of those previously considered in the event a replacement was needed. Given that there appears to be no chance of recovery within a reasonable timeframe, I have therefore decided to activate a replacement. I therefore introduce Inferno."
A girl, about Spark's height and age, with short blonde hair and dressed in a Workforce uniform with outlined white flame logo walked in on cue.
"Hi." From her pose and tone, Spark almost felt she had a sort of... nervous arrogance... to her, if that made any sense.
"I shall leave you to get aquainted for now," McCauley said, "the press confrence is scheduled to begin in one hour." So they had half an hour, Spark thought, as Andromeda was the first to walk up and say hello to her new teammate. _________________________________
Tikhik woke up and groaned, lying on his bed. He had to be gone that morning, he knew. He'd decided a week before that This Was The Day, although he still had to break it to the Kallors, including Tom. Grateful as he was for the hospitality, especially when so few would have extended it, he had to be gone sometime if he was to ever expose McCauley, and today was his deadline. He knew he couldn't do it in one leap, what he didn't know was exactly how many leaps he would need and how long he'd need between each leap to recover. He walked through a gate into the hall and headed for the kitchen. _________________________________
"And finally, the McCauley Industries Workforce group today unveiled a new member. Martin Gray reports;"
----
"All smiles today at Workforce HQ, but rumours over the fate of José Rimbaud, known as Ultraboy, are unlikely to be settled by the announcement today that he was being replaced 'on a temporary basis' in the team."
(Caption - Graham Adams | McCauley Industries Spokesman) "I want to take this opportunity to deny that Ultraboy has been sacked for any reason whatsoever, and to say that the baseless reporting to that effect by several disreputable newspapers is completely without foundation."
(question from the floor) "Can you confirm what actually happened then?"
"All I can say for the moment is that he is still under contract to the Workforce. I have no further comment on this matter at this time."
"And indeed he did not. The replacement, 'Inferno', (picture on-screen) is joining the team with immediate effect, and it remains to be seen whether we will be given any more information on 'Ultraboy's' current situation. Martin Gray, ITV News." _________________________________
Trinity was sitting playing a three-player Mario Kart game in the rec room when the others returned, and continued playing even as many of them filed in.
Cos walked over to her, "Hi."
Keeping her eyes on the screen, T-Neutral said, "Anything interesting?"
"Not really - landslide. We were asked to help shore it up and search for survivors."
"Ah."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Don't know what you mean," T-Purple said that, so any lingering doubt vanished.
"It's about not getting you up, isn't it?"
"I was sleeping," T-Orange shrugged.
"You're annoyed I didn't break your door down and drag you out with us, right?"
"Yes." T-Neutral left it at the single word.
"Come on - what could I do? Everyone else was up and most were in costume. I went up and banged your door as loud as I could, but even then you'd have been fifteen minutes at least getting ready. I couldn't wait Lu - I wanted to, but lives might have been on the line."
Trinity hated when he had a valid point like that. _________________________________
"You're going?" Tom sounded shocked.
"Tom, you've known for ages I needed to go, and I've waited too long as it is. I'm more grateful than you could know for what you and your family have done for me, but if I don't go soon it'll be too late to save everyone else who didn't escape McCauley's clutches."
Tom swallowed, "Then I'm coming with you."
Tikhik's beak dropped open, "You don't mean that. You're just saying that because I'm saying I'm going. If you come, you'll wish you hadn't. Besides, your mother will never allow it."
"Maybe. But if I don't come, I'll worry about you the whole time." He forced a grin, "Damned if I do and damned if I don't."
"Tom, think about it. I might be on the move for a day or a month. I don't know how far I can reliably leap or how long I'll need to rest for before making another long leap. If I need to wait, I don't know where I'll sleep, whether I'll even be able to speak to anyone - indeed, I might be killed on the way by people scared of a giant insect."
"And more guilt for me. I can't let you go on your own... it... it just wouldn't be right."
Tikhik paused. "Let's speak to your parents about this." _________________________________
Trinity slipped into her oversized bath, trying to relax. She knew her place on the team would have to be under threat if this kept up. She looked at each other, thinking that they would have to do something soon. Something felt wrong in her mind, something was there that she couldn't see but could feel.
What was she going to do, she wondered? _________________________________
Andromeda, dressed all in black against the night sky, approached Rock Reef Point. She looked around the site. It was her first visit since That Day - she saw how it had been fixed up since she'd hit the self-destruct to stop the White Triangle, when new goverment contractors had come back to keep trying for the ore used in intertron-making. It galled her to think how her parents had died for nothing - there was none of the ore here after all, and never had been.
She floated over to one specific corner of the outpost, and laid flowers on her parents' graves. At that moment, she felt alone in the world. _________________________________
Elsewhere:
In Hong Kong, someone was going about her daily grind, trying hard not to scream at her boring life, when she could do so much more.
In Japan, someone was trying to think through her power enough to eat.
In Venezula, someone heard from afar the death of her parent, and kept the children's kites aloft through her tears.
In Canada, someone was enjoying himself, tinkering.
In England, someone exploded
In Massachusetts, someones exploded through the air, trying to focus himselves together
In India, someone showed off his forcefield to tourists
In Madagascar, someone crawled through the undergrowth at speed, laughing
In the US, below a desert, many could do nothing at all.
And so it went on, all around the world, few, scattered, isolated, untutored, never meeting others like themselves...
Posted by Reboot on :
Inferno flopped down on her bed and juggled a few fireballs. God, not having control of her powers had sucked. She didn't remember too much of that period, but why would she want to? All that time in a dark, cold room just to avoid burning the place down... sure as hell she never wanted to go through that again. Anyway, it was all a blur and all in the past now, and that was where it was going to stay.
There was a knock at her door, "Yeah?" she called.
Spark poked her head around the door. "Me and you are due to leave for something in Texas in five minutes. Makeup en route. Are you ready?"
"Sure." Inferno sighed. Downside of fame, she supposed.
Posted by Reboot on :
Polarity's hands slid over the metal. Working it, shaping it with his power. He didn't know what it was going to look like yet, but his shelves were littered with beautiful, yet abstract works.
"Hey." Spark knocked at his open door. "How are you? Haven't seen you around today."
"I'm okay. I just felt like some time alone."
"Well, I was going to go ice-skating and I wondered if you wanted to..."
"No. I'm okay."
"Is this about Hallowe'en?"
"No, no, honest. I just... don't feel like going out today."
Spark didn't believe him for a second. "Okaaay. If you change your mind, you've got ten minutes before I'm off."
"See ya."
---
The blades on Spark's feet slid across the ice smoothly, but for the girl above them, things felt less smooth. She still hadn't really talked to Garth since the incident over a month before, and the only time he'd tried to talk to her was late on at the party when she was completely wiped for other reasons. Ever since she'd said no to Paul at the same party, he'd been weird around her, and Enrapture had taken to hanging around him since Ultraboy got shot, and she'd already seen Meta eat him alive before that. And of course she'd seen Ultraboy get shot four times and fall twenty feet with a crack. And now, on top of all that, she'd heard her parents might be splitting up and she had. no. one. to. talk. to.
At that moment, she thrust too hard in the wrong way on the ice and fell. Great. She usually had perfect balance on the ice.
She really needed to talk to someone at that moment.
---
Spark was tired and bruised when she walked into the canteen, and her mood wasn't improved when she saw Enrapture with her arm around Paul.
Physically, she could see what could attract people to Meta, but she couldn't believe that anyone who'd spent months on the same team as her would want to stick their neck out for her to drain dry. Was she playing with his mind, she wondered?
---
"Paul - you're nuts. META?!"
Polarity sighed. "And what's wrong with Meta?"
"Something that rhymes with 'Scartless titch' maybe? You saw what she did to José."
"Funny, I thought that was an animal rights lunatic."
"Not... you know what I mean. José was a toy to her, a bit of gum to chew the heck out of until all his flavour was gone. And you could see him getting more clingy, less interested in other stuff as time went by."
"Maybe it's called 'love.' You should try it some time."
"Paul..."
"Ella. I wanted you. Okay, you don't want me, that's fine..."
"That's not fair."
"...but that doesn't give you a veto over anyone else I see. Now excuse me, please."
He half-walked, half-ran out of the room. Spark just slumped down. Great, another perfect day in Perfectland.
Posted by Reboot on :
"A couple of obvious questions first - your suit is fully flame-proofed, isn't it?"
"Obviously."
"And have you done any flying before?"
"Never."
"Right..." Andromeda paused for a moment.
"What's flying like?" Inferno asked before Andromeda could continue.
"For me, flying feels like..." Laurel struggled to find the words... "you know when you're in the water, and you're bobbing on the surface?"
"Yeah."
"Well, when I'm just hovering like this, it's like that. And when I'm flying, properly, it's like swimming with little jets all over my body. But it's different for everyone - Dragonmage says he feels like he's riding some great beast. You'll see in a moment what it's like for you"
"Okaay," Inferno was nervous, tried not to show it, and utterly failed.
"Anyway, as I was about to say, just try taking off now and we'll see how it goes."
"Just like that?!"
"Just like that," Andromeda smiled. "If you get too high and fall, I'll catch you. Now, come on..."
Inferno concentrated. She knew what she had to do roughly - just create a big jet of flame underneath herself, but...
Andromeda saw her nerves, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Inferno answered too quickly.
Laurel sighed, and thought for a moment. "Okay, hands in front of you, make a ball of flame about the size of a football."
Inferno did so, a slightly puzzled look on her face.
"Now, keep it going, and trap it between your legs." When Inferno obeyed, she continued, "Now, expand it all around your legs, from your knees to your waist - not down to your feet, you'll have no stability and won't be able to turn." Inferno began to get it and shut her eyes. "Now, turn the flame up and push until your feet feel like they're almost, but not quite, pulling away from the ground. Ready?" Inferno nodded. "Now push!"
Inferno shot up into the sky at a tremendous rate. "Oh no," Andromeda whispered and shot up in hot pursuit.
By the time she caught up with Inferno, Sandy was well above the Workforce building, 40 or 50 stories high, and was showing no sign of stopping. "SLOW DOWN!!!" Andromeda yelled though the roaring wind as she saw that Inferno still hadn't opened her eyes. She grabbed Inferno's shoulders and started trying to hold her back a bit. The feeling made Sandy open her eyes.
"DON'T LOOK DOWN!" Andromeda was still struggling to be heard over the wind and flame. "JUST SLOW DOWN!" Unfortunately, Inferno chose that moment to look down, and her flame died. Andromeda caught her before she fell.
"I think we need to work on your control of speed a bit first," she said dryly.
Posted by Reboot on :
"WHOO-HOO!" Live Wire twisted his jetski in a circle, soaking Tela in the process, and was five metres ahead by the time Irma had stopped spluttering and recovered. In response, she leant down and barrelled after him at top speed.
Ever since the Legion had formed, the jetskiing business, based on an artifical lake built for the purpose some way up the coast from New York City, had seen many of the Legionnaires become frequent customers. Today, however, there were only two of them visiting, but they had certainly been going at it. Rumours had been flying in the press about a relationship between the two, and as they took their jetskis back to the mooring point, the hands that joined did nothing to disprove the tittle-tattle.
Posted by Reboot on :
quote:Previously: "You're going?" Tom sounded shocked.
"Tom, you've known for ages I needed to go, and I've waited too long as it is. I'm more grateful than you could know for what you and your family have done for me, but if I don't go soon it'll be too late to save everyone else who didn't escape McCauley's clutches."
Tom swallowed, "Then I'm coming with you."
Tikhik's beak dropped open, "You don't mean that. You're just saying that because I'm saying I'm going. If you come, you'll wish you hadn't. Besides, your mother will never allow it."
"Maybe. But if I don't come, I'll worry about you the whole time." He forced a grin, "Damned if I do and damned if I don't."
"Tom, think about it. I might be on the move for a day or a month. I don't know how far I can reliably leap or how long I'll need to rest for before making another long leap. If I need to wait, I don't know where I'll sleep, whether I'll even be able to speak to anyone - indeed, I might be killed on the way by people scared of a giant insect."
"And more guilt for me. I can't let you go on your own... it... it just wouldn't be right."
And now....
There was silence in the place.
Suddenly, a round, green portal appeared, and from it, there came a cry.
"Wahoo! Step aboard the Gates/Starboy World Tou..." exiting the portal, be stopped abruptly. As did his companion, a large, black insect.
Two human skulls, bullet holes in the centre of their foreheads, were poking through the earth in front of them. _______________________
"...in the end, I can't stop you going, but please promise me you'll be careful" Myra Kallor's eyes filled with tears as she hugged her son tightly.
"Don't worry mum, I will," Tom said in a hoarse voice, and hugged his dad too after his mum finally broke the hug, then hoisted his rucksack onto his broad shoulders as the green portal opened. "Bye..." his voice trailed off as he stepped through... into Sydney City Centre. "Tik... wha?"
"I think you need some time to compose yourself," he said quite simply, and it was a couple of hours before they set off for real. _______________________
"My..."
"Tom, what did you expect?" Tikhik sounded calm, but depressed as he continued, "All the time, the whole world over, people are being tortured, raped, killed."
"I-- I know, b-but..."
"...but you didn't expect to come across this, I know."
Tom slumped down on a nearby rock, and Tikhik came and gently clasped his shoulder with his claw, "Tom, this is why I didn't want you to come. I didn't know exactly what I'd find on my way, but my... experience of human nature... said most of it wouldn't be good."
They sat for a few minutes in silence before Tom spoke up, "I wish I could find them... th... the people who did this, and..."
"...and what Tom? Put holes in their heads in revenge? How do you know that wasn't why these two were killed? And if you did that, wouldn't the people who found their bodies have a right to kill you in revenge?"
Tom's shoulders slumped, "Well, what then? Don't tell me you don't want to kill McCauley, or turn him into a bug or something."
"Sometimes," Tikhik's voice dropped, "sometimes, when I'm feeling low and weak, yes, yes I do. That's why I don't want to be the one to judge him Tom - I'd be scared of what I'd do. It's not just me - he killed fifty people I knew, including some good friends of mine, in the same experiments. Plus all the others he's killed, and experimented on, and brainwashed."
"And you don't think he should die?"
"I don't think anyone has the right to condemn another living, thinking person to death. No-one. Maybe some people deserve to die, but if people who deserve to live die in their stead, you can't undo that mistake."
"'Let those who are without sin', huh?"
"In a way. It's moronic how much effort humans put into killing each other, and if I had my way, I'd teleport every missile, every tank, every gun, every bullet, every mould for a bullet, into the sun and be rid of them."
"You know it'd just slow them down?"
"Too well..."
They both sat for some time after that, lost in thought.
Eventually, Tikhik spoke up "Now come on..."
"Eh? I thought you needed rest."
"I left it so I could manage one more jump today if I needed to. This looks unpromising enough to qualify."
Posted by Reboot on :
Something caught the corner of her eye. She looked round and stared with her enhanced vision. A green hole opened in mid air and a man and a bug walked out. Not something you saw every day. She checked to see if anyone else had seen it, but no-one had. She had to know.
Quickly, she jumped high, onto the street lights, leaping from one to one, ending up on the wall above their heads, where she held on tightly and paused... _____________________
As Tikhik and Tom exited the gate, which quickly closed behind him, Tikhik slumped down
"Are you okay?"
Tikhik looked at Tom for a few moments before answering, "I've just teleported us a massive distance in two jumps, what do you think?"
Tom looked around for a few moments at the dark alley in which they'd landed - "any idea where we are at least?"
"Looks like a city," Tikhik groused. ______________________
She'd heard and seen enough. She dropped to the ground lightly, and said "hi." The big guy instantly headed the other way, tossing and tumbling up ten stories before he caught himself.
Tikhik thought for a moment, shrugged and said, "Hello, I'm Tikhik Miraz and my friend-" he indicated with one of his pincers the guy who was now trying to control his descent "-is Tom Kallor."
"Ming Sul, pleased to meet a couple of fellow warpies."
Tikhik decided to let the 'warpies' bit go, and besides, she had dropped a long way to land as safely as she had... "Could you please tell me where we are?"
"How specific do you want it? District? Street?"
"Just the country will do for now."
"Hong Kong."
Tikhik looked genuinely surprised, as Tom finally landed with a mild thump.
Acting on reflex, Ming said at that, "Look, if you really don't have anywhere to go, you could come to my place if you promise to explain why you're going through green holes so you don't even know what country you're in!"
Tom blushed at the suggestion, and Tikhik, noting this, quickly accepted. ______________________
"It's not much, but it's where I'm stuck for now, so I guess it counts as 'home'," Ming said as she flicked a light switch in the tiny one-bed apartment.
Almost instantly she flopped down on the couch that was the only piece of furniture in the room, muttering something about how she didn't know how waitresses without super-powers coped. Tom gingerly sat beside her while Tikhik leaned back onto the rug that was the only other significant break on the bare floorboards.
"So let me get this straight," she spoke up again after a couple of minutes, "...this guy turned you..." - she gestured at Tikhik - "...into a bug, killed a lot of people and brainwashed another lot and you want everyone to know about it. And you're..." - she looked at Tom - "...going along to help him because you won't let him go alone."
"Essentially," said Tikhik.
"Then I'm coming too."
"Are you mad?" spluttered Tom
"Oh, and why do you do it, huh? Right now, I'm stuck in this craphole of an apartment in the most tightly infested rathole on the planet in a dead-end job with No. Way. Out. When I saw you this afternoon, I was only interested in meeting the first other super-wotsits I've ever seen. Now, I want to help, especially if it means a way out, and if it means I have to do a few things on reflex like risking this McCauley transplanting my head onto my bunghole, it's worth the risk."
"Better pack plenty of warm clothes and blankets," said Tikhik as Tom looked shocked, "we're going to end up in Siberia or Alaska or both before we reach our destination."
Posted by Reboot on :
Two Days Later:
As Tom awoke, he stretched out as best he could on the small couch to counter the crick in his neck. Looking down at his watch, he saw it said 10am, which meant noon for him. Spinning around into a sitting position, he rubbed his face in his hands and muttered "Brilliant" before standing and heading for the shower room/toilet.
A quarter of an hour later, he had showered and was sitting alone in the small and empty flat wondering where Tikhik and Ming had got to. Ming's flip-down bed was up against the wall, and he was going to get a drink of water when he heard the door unlocking.
Ming walked in, carrying huge bagfuls of stuff. He quickly offered to take some of it, and she assented. It was almost too heavy for him, but even if he didn't have real super-strength like her, he could and did fake it by making the stuff lighter.
"What IS all this?"
"Tent; sleeping bags; couple of big rucksacks; lots of food, mostly tinned; four extra can-openers for obvious reasons; camping stove; gas; emmm... oh, and some warm clothes for me for when we get to Siberia."
"Tik said he thought we'd be another week getting there, not six months!"
"Uh-huh. And we'll live on fresh air and in top hotels in America, huh? You've never lived on your own before, have you?"
"That's not the point..."
"Sure..." and with that she gave a little smirk.
"Why are you coming again? You could just..."
"Grow old in this shoebox? No thank you. 'Sides, it's done. I quit my job last night and handed in my notice for this place this morning and used next month's rent money to get all this."
"Just like that? Come on... at least if this all goes pear-shaped I've got somewhere to go back to."
"IF you can get back. Have you thought what you'll do if this McCauley guy manages to get a bullet through our insect friend before he manages to tell all? Can you fly from Australia to the USA under your own steam? I already got the lecture on not wanting to risk airline security these days by stowing away on a plane - and that's WITH a teleporter."
"Okay, okay. You're right."
"Course I am," she smirked again, "anyway were you going to stand around all morning or help pack this stuff up before our friend gets back."
"Where is he anyway?"
"Dunno, he just said something about needing time alone before we went."
"He'll be at the harbour then. He always likes looking out to sea..." _____________________
Tikhik had been sitting on top of a skyscraper for hours, watching Victoria harbour as the sky grew brighter under its' blanket of cloud and haze.
He thought he had the measure now. Given perfect direction, he could just about make it in three jumps; but since Hong Kong was quite a bit off the ideal way, he obviously couldn't direct himself accurately over the sort of distances in question. Still, think five he told himself - bear north-east or so, he might even manage to make South-Eastern Russia in one jump. Another jump would hit the eastern edge of Siberia, then though Canada in one jump, then the North-Eastern USA or at worst SE Canada, then a relatively short jump to New York, which all appearances said was where he needed to be to make his voice heard and begin bringing McCauley down. A solid plan, with room for going a bit off-course and still keeping to the general route. And surely, one look at him would be all that would be needed. Surely... it had to work.... _____________________
1pm (HK time):
Tom placed a Jack of Hearts on the pile, "Jack it back, last card, and..." added a Three of Hearts to the pile. Ming made a face and gathered the cards up again.
"How long does he take with these sorts of things."
"Depends," Tom was trying to hide his own nerves and not doing a very good job of it, "but once he stayed out for 10 hours solid - and then I went to get him."
"But he IS coming back for us, right?" Ming asked as she dealt the cards again
"Hey, he could have dumped me back in Australia, and he didn't."
Ming noticed that that wasn't exactly a "no," but left it at that. _____________________
1:10pm:
As Tikhik opened the portal back, he was almost knocked back by the "FINALLY!" that came from Tom and Ming through it.
"You're ready then?"
"An hour and a half ago," Ming said as she pocketed the cards and her and Tom grabbed their comically-large backpacks and proceeded to strap a plastic-wrapped bedroll to Tikhik's own back.
"Is that strictly necessary?"
"Yes."
"Fine..." all things considered, it wasn't too heavy or limiting. "Ready."
"YES!" both almost shouted.
"Fine then..."
The portal opened.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jazmin double-checked her knapsack for the third time since leaving her room. She satisfied herself that everything was complete, then headed up to the roof. She didn't want anything going wrong now and ruining her and Jenni's plans.
*************************************************
Jenni ran through the streets of New York, enjoying the feel of the wind in her face. Soon, she and Jaz would see their business done. Soon, she'd be free.
*************************************************
Zoe bit her lip as she looked at the monitor screen. She could see that the others in the room were a bit worried too. Maybe more than a bit. Sally had been right, but now Sally was off on a mission somewhere. She'd told her as much as she could, which wasn't a whole lot, actally. Not even Sally seemed to know exactly what she'd be doing. She just knew that it was important.
Irma's voice broke through her thoughts. "Jazmin's heading for the roof, and Jenni's headed out the front door. We have no way to track them from here on. I guess they left separately so they wouldn't be noticed."
"Then we'd better leave immediately." Chuck's voice sounded like he could be discussing what plans to make for the weekend. Zoe knew he was nervous too, but she also knew that no matter what his feelings he'd do what needed doing. That's why he was here right now, in fact. Sally hadn't wanted to tell anyone about Jenni and Jaz, but Zoe had convinced her that the matter was too big to keep to themselves.
Gene was never up for consideration. He'd likely have exploded and gone to confront Jenni and Jaz, and Zoe could see no way that would turn out well. Rex had too much on his plate right now; he'd have known what to do but Zoe didn't want to add to his troubles anymore. Chuck, on the other hand, knew how to deal with stuff like this. And Zoe and Sally both felt they could trust him.
They were right. Chuck didn't think approaching Jenni and Jaz about this was a good idea either, so he'd suggested telling Irma. With Irma came Garth, and the five of them had decided on the best course of action. Talking to Jenni or Jaz was out of the question. You couldn't just ask someone if they were planning to go and... Zoe couldn't bring herself to think about it.
Irma had "read" the two to help the decide. She was loathe to enter their minds without permission, of course, but scanning their sirface emotions wasn't a violation of privacy. She said that Jenni had seemed... dreadfully eager was the only phrase for it. Eager to get the task done, but afraid of what might happen. Jaz had seemed more determined, but there was also a touch of anxiety at what exactly they would do. Irma had been sure that they'd been working mostly on emotion, and that they needed to go through with this for their piece of mind. Garth, of course, had agreed, and so had Chuck.
With Irma against entering their minds, they had done a bit of detective work. They already knew about Jenni's mother and Jaz's brother, and it had been only a little dificult to scan the mission monitor board records for the Arctic base. The tickets to Norway linked everything together.
That last was why Brock was here as well. His knowledge of the Artcic north would come in handy for their plan, which was to follow their teammates up north, and... they hadn't gotten that far. Irma was sure neither of the two would do anything that drastic, but you never knew. But she, Chuck, Garth and Brock would follow and watch, and step in if they needed to. Irma would stay and cover for them, and keep the four in telepathic contact while monitoring Jaz's and Jenni's states. It was the best they could hope for. Brock had been hesitant at first, but Chuck had convinced him to help.
"Everything all set?" Chuck had stepped into a leadership role early on, though he was too nice to actually command. He lead out of respect though, and that was more effective. "Okay, you know the drill. Zoe, good luck."
Zoe nodded, and psychokinetically altered her costume and hair. It was important that Jenni and Jaz not recognize her. She hoped all would go well.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Berta did not expect that her plans would lead her to this much trouble. She didn't expect that the UN wouldn't have pu a temporary ban on new recruits for the Legion while they "got things in order". She didn't expect that her mother would be forced to leave her alone in New York for a few days while she went home to take care of business that couldn't wait. She didn't expect that she'd be spending most of her time in the square in front of Legion headquarters, hoping that she'd be able to introduce herself to a Legionnaire.
She sighed. It had been three days since she first had that idea, but it hadn't panned out. Only a few Legionnaires ever left their HQ on foot. She'd seen Jenni Ogants, but she doubted Jenni had seen her. Sometimes Irma Ardeen and Garth Raines would pass by, but one look at the two of them together told her it was best not to disturb them.
She'd debated whether she should fly up to the roof and hopefully intercept one of the Legionnaires. On one hand, it was better than rotting down her. On the other hand, it wouldn't make for a good first impression if she'd be mistaken as a spy or assailant.
She was just about to give up when she saw what could only have been Zoe Saunders fly from the roof. She squinted. The girl looked nothing like Zoe, but she had the same green glow. A disguise, then.
At the same instant, she overheard three voices.
"Is it a good idea to let Zoe go by herself? I do not wish her to come to harm."
"Brock, we've gone over this. We'd be too obvious if we all went on the same flight Jenni and Jaz took. Irma will keep us in telepathic contact, and besides, it's not like they'll attack Zoe."
"Besides, we'll meet up in Norway and follow them together. ome un, let's hustle."
Berta peeked around the corner and recognized the three Legionnaires. It only took her three seconds to decide to follow them.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Jazmin buckled herself into her seat and smiled at Jenni. "This is it."
Jenni nodded, though the beginnings of a frown creased her face. "I'm sure all will go well."
Jaz nodded back. "It will. We'll bring Chu to justice and everything will turn out all right. I bet even Gene will forgive us for sneaking out like that if we succeed."
Jenni closed her eyes and smiled. "I wish I could be that optimistic." Jazmin wanted to ask what exactly she wanted to be more optimistic about, but thought against it. No sense putting more pressure on either of them. She opened her mouth to reassure Jenni, but the other girl spoke first.
"I'm gonna get some shuteye. Wake me when they serve lunch."
Jaz tried to laugh, to ease the tension Jenni was feeling, but she couldn't do it. She was afraid herself. "You got it."
*************************************************
Zoe leafed through the pages of the magazine, but the words failed to interest her. She kept glancing at Jenni and Jazmin, who were about four seats in front of her. She wished she could just go over and talk to them, ask them what was wrong, but of course she couldn't.
She sat back with a sigh, checking to see if her wig was straight. Jenni and Jazmin were not as close as Sally was, of course, or even Chuck, but they were still her friends. She hoped that what she was doing was still being a good friend to them.
************************************************* Chuck frowned to himself as he boarded their plane. They would land only 15 minutes after Zoe's plane would, but it was enough for their plan to go terribly wrong. What if they couldn't find each other in time, or what if Jenni and Jazmin left and they couldn't tail them? He had rehearsed several scenarios in his mind, and planned for them all, but it still worried him. He wasn't a pessimist by nature, but he did worry far too much. He was just glad that Garth and Brock were with him. At least he didn't have to face things alone. ************************************************ Brock grimaced as he thought about Zoe. It wasn't right that she should go alone. he understood the others' reasoning, but he still felt that there was some danger. oe had volunteered, but it still didn't feel right. And he worried for her. He didn't want to think about what might happen. ************************************************ Berta hurriedly went to her seat on the plane. Luckily, she had been able to buy a ticket with the credit card her mom had left her. Her aunt had also been at work so she was able to pack everything she might need up north. She would have missed the plane had she not flown faster and harder than she'd ever flown before.
She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, saying a little prayer for safety. If all worked out well she'd impress the six Legionnaires. And if not... Risks had to be taken, but Berta hoped that this risk was worth taking.
Posted by Reboot on :
"None. His wounds were mortal, and only the Elen preserves him now for his last task."
"Very well." The man left the doctors' tent, and entered the deep blue tent beyond.
Inside, a young woman sat crosslegged upon a woollen mat which was laid upon the ground. At the sound of entry, she visibly tensed and opened her eyes, her hand upon Calíburn, her sword. She relaxed only slightly when she saw who it was.
"What news?" she asked.
"As feared, his wounds are mortal." He would have continued, but she knew perfectly well what it meant, and stood and walked to the entrance of the tent, Calíburn in her hand.
She entered the tent thereafter and bade to be left alone with her father, then spoke with him at length for the last time.
Thereafter, she called from inside the tent and had two men carry him out, placing him upon a bench. He looked up at her and nodded, weakly.
"Goodbye father," she whispered, and brought Calíburn down, cleaving his head from his body.
As soon as life left his body, the Elen - a glowing artefact that none but Tazmin could gaze upon - left too, sitting atop his corpse. The fact that she could was sign that it had accepted her as its' new host.
She took it in her hands, and thrust it into her torso, where it vanished.
Michael Tomas, Arren of the Táloc, was dead. Long reign Tazmin Tomas, Arra of the Táloc.
Tazmin looked at her hand and a sword of purest light appeared within it. She wished for Calíburn, her true sword, but it was forbade her until she had a full mastery of the Elén. The lack of mass of the sword of light disturbed her, though she knew it to be stronger than any steel. Nonetheless, she hefted the sword, manifested a shield of the same ether upon her other arm and prepared to strike at her target.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"She will lead us to disaster."
"How so?"
"She is a capable warrior, but her youth and her battle-yearning mean she has not the wisdom to lead."
"Does the Elén not grant wisdom?"
"It contains wisdom, but also folly. It holds all the knowledge of the previous Arrens to carry it within them, but gives only that knowledge that is asked of it. Michael, Allheart take his soul, knew this and balanced what it whispered to him with his own wisdom. Tazmin, thirty seasons younger than Michael when he received it and more desirous of glory on the field, will ask it of great battles and doughty fighters and not seek to check this with thoughts of our present-day capabilities. I tell you most solemnly that I fear she will take us to a battle we cannot win."
"But she is Arra, the wielder of the Elén! Could you gaze upon it when it left Michael?"
"No," his friend admitted, "But the Elén has a will of its' own, and though Tazmin is strong-willed, if its' views align with hers she will follow it - and the Elén would know that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
She felt the siren cry of battle as she trained, her sweat of liquid light rather than water as she hit every target without fail on the first move, ending with a light dagger shot from her finger to the centre of her final target. The Elén told her she was worthy, and that they could end the corruption of this decadent world as long as she had the strength of mind to do it...
[ December 16, 2005, 03:25 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
"Help, help, I'm being repressed!"
Andromeda sighed, trying and failing to keep her mind blank as she watched the DVD. It had been a bad day.
Firstly, had been breakfast. Which, with Spark and Polarity not talking, had been a nervous affair. Not through choice, she'd heard their whole argument of a couple of days back and tried to have a word with each of them today to little effect. Spark wasn't showing much of her name, and Laurel could tell she wasn't dealing with her rough patch too well but didn't know how to help her. Polarity, on the other hand, was being very defensive and wholly unlike himself when asked about Spark and his relationship with Enrapture, leaving Laurel wondering how to approach Meta about the subject, something she hadn't had time to see about the rest of the day.
After breakfast and the following attempts to get blood from a pair of stones, it had in theory been a fairly conventional day. Meaning lots of makeup, smiling as if she meant it, breathing in other people's smoke and putting up with Reflecto. Fun.
She tried to settle back again to watch the rest of the film. When the cheesy closing muzak stopped though, she felt nervous for some reason. She took the TV remote and flicked to a news channel,
"...tt I-Mart was devastated today by a what was initially thought to be a tornado. However, in the aftermath of the seeming freak event, the police apprehended Walter Barrett's daught..."
She turned it off again, not wanting to hear more about superhuman this or metahuman that. The bottom line was, she was tired. Tired of being a leader who wasn't allowed to lead but had to pay attention to every little fissure in the team all the same.
Tired of saying "how high" when she was told to jump.
The photoshoot was still preying on her mind too, with publication less than a month away now. She'd been given a picture of the cover mocked up - not for approval or anything of the sort, she wasn't sure why - with one of the two nude poses she'd done to make her feel "better" still, only her crossed legs and long, curly blonde hair sparing her blushes completely. She dug it out and looked herself in the eye. The photog had thought she was just pouting, when she was livid and not allowed to say so.
She threw the picture across the room, turned the light off and got into bed properly. Why the hell had she gotten herself into this mess? HOW the hell had she gotten herself into this mess?
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“Hello children,” said the man, “I’d wondered where you’d gotten off to.”
Before Hasim, Dirk, Maziah and Jacquie stood the leader of the Dark Circle, the group of men who had attacked them in Osaka, Japan.
“You won’t be wondering much for long,” said Hasim, stepping forward.
“Hasim, wait—“ said Jacquie, as Dirk broke her off.
“Hasim’s right for once Jacquie,” he said, fury coming across his face. “This guy has it coming and you know it!”
“Such anger, such violence,” replied the man, calm and collected. “You’re doing a fine job of making a scene.”
“And they’ll stop right here,” said a voice and they saw it was Dharampal. “There’s no violence in the café children. If you’ve got political problems, it happens outside the bar. That rule applies to everyone. Even those as unwelcome as Tsuyoshi.”
Jacquie spoke up. “Do as he said,” she said to her friends, “we’re in his house.”
Dharampal nodded to her and she nodded back. An uneasy air existed between Dharampal and the leader of the Dark Circle, whose first name was apparently Tsuyoshi.
“Yes children,” said the older Japanese man, “we’ll see each other soon enough. Some of you,” he continued looking directly at Maziah, “more than others.” She turned away in disgust and Tsuyoshi walked away.
“Great…” said Dirk, “…what are we going to do about this? How’d they know to find us here? I thought we were so secret…”
“We’ll do like we planned,” said Jacquie, “but we need to be more careful. All of us. Maybe we should stay in groups.”
Maziah turned away, obviously displeased. “I’m going to see Blok.”
Jacquie looked tired suddenly, and Dirk saw that being the leader wore her down more than she let on. “I’ll go after her Jacquie,” he whispered, following her outside.
Hasim put his hand on Jacquie’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with you Jac,” he said.
----------------------------
“This is a beautiful community you live in,” said Tenz to Backsheeh. “Is it just you and your father?”
“Yes,” replied the boy, “my mother passed away a few years ago.” He did not seem upset at all. Tatiana looked at Mon though, knowing Ten Zil’s father still weighed down on him.
“I recently lost my father,” said Tenz. “I think about him every day.”
Without saying a word, Tatiana put her arms around Tenz’ arm and held him close. “Funny,” thought Mon, “how close we’re all becoming when we’ve only known each other such a short time.”
“I’m more interested in your story,” said Backsheesh. “Such a strange group of people to be traveling together, and even though you’re all older than me, you’re all still young…”
“Exactly the thing I was thinking of!” said a voice and they turned to see Amarjeet, the man who pretty much ran the city. “I’m pleased to see you found it here,” he said to them. “Marla, this is all they were talking about all day when they arrived.”
They turned to see who he was talking to, to see a handsome man with light gray (almost white) hair. He was thin and looked to be very healthy and looked to be American…another foreigner here. “Allow me to introduce Marla Latham, one of Sakkim’s favorite American patrons.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” said Marla with a half smile, extending his hand, which came into contact with Mon’s first. “Amarjeet was just telling me of you when we spotted you. He said you’re traveling with the Moldavian Princess.”
Tenz noticed that as they were talking, Tatiana was moving further away, almost hiding. It took him a second to realize that it was her skin, which he further realized was a very firm light blue. It was making her uncomfortable and uneasy. Strange, he thought, that no one was mentioning it.
“And I see you’ve met the infamous son of the Sky Café,” said Marla Latham, looking down at Backsheesh.
“Hello Mr. Latham,” said the boy, a little shyer in his voice.
“You’re American sir?” said Tenz. “We’re traveling with an American too.”
“I know,” said Marla, “Amarjeet didn’t realize who it was. Famous boy male model, the youngest in the history of the industry. Fascinating that you’re all together. I’m pretty sure he’s Czech though…” There was something about Marla’s interest in them that didn’t seem right to Tatiana, and she could tell Mon felt it too. But there was something innately likeable about the man.
“See! I told you they were interesting. Now let’s get a drink…I think I see Tsuyoshi over there…” Amarjeet, however, was definitively unlikable.
“Come by and see me sometime in the next day or so,” said Marla, looking more at Tenz and Backsheesh. “I’d love to have a chance to talk to you young men and women while you’re around. Unfortunately, boring businessmen are forcing me to spend what should be my quiet time, talking about business as boring as themselves.” The two men walked off.
They were quiet for a minute. “This place definitely has a strange clientele,” said Tatiana.
“Lots of people here don’t seem right, I agree,” said Mon.
“Here we go,” said Tenz to Backsheesh, referring to Tatiana and Mon, “this is where they get all serious and stop enjoying the night…”
---------------------
Maziah walked outside, Dirk still a bit behind her. It was a lovely garden along the mountainside, and she got the sense that it was constructed to make one feel as if they were standing on a diagonal slope. The wind was crisper out here.
“Blok?” she said softly.
“I am here Maziah,” she heard a reply. “Thank you for coming out to see me.” She turned to see him in the shadows long the cliff, blending in with the other rocky terrain.
“The Dark Circle is here,” she said. “But you probably already knew that…”
“I did not,” he replied, “but I suspected they would come. They will always be coming now, child. There is nothing either of us can do about that.”
She was quiet.
“Do you eat or drink, Blok?” she asked suddenly.
For a second, she could almost feel him smile. “No, I do not. I do not sleep either.”
“Do you sing?” she asked.
“Sing? I…I…no, I do not. I have never given it much thought.”
“That is too bad,” she said. “because it is one of the finer things we do.”
“Then Maziah,” replied Blok, “I am glad you have not forgotten it, in light of our enemies arriving at our every location. I would like to hear this singing some day, perhaps.”
“Then it’s a deal. I will continue to enjoy the pleasures of song, as long as you promise to start enjoying them.” She was smiling widely now.
In the doorway, a small distance away, Dirk was watching and smiling.
“I’m scared Blok,” said Maziah after a long silence.
“I know Maziah,” said the large creature, this time much softer than Dirk ever thought possible for Blok.
Dirk turned away, not wanting to create an embarrassing situation. Again he saw the man named Tsuyoshi. He was talking to Amarjeet and a white-haired businessman, who was either Northern European or American. Tsuyoshi broke away and walked towards Dirk.
“What do you want now?” said Dirk rudely.
“I want to be frank with you Mr. Morgna,” said the businessman. “You know who I am and who I work with, though you know very little about either. We have an interest in your little group and in the White Witch you travel with. There does not need to be violence like in Osaka.”
“No? Then why the kidnapping? Why the attack and the games? I know a crook when I see one, and we want nothing to do with you.”
“That’s too bad, I’m afraid. Too bad for you and your friends.” He walked away again.
---------
“Monsieur Amarjeet,” Hasim heard in a French accent suddenly, as he turned to see the prefect talking to what looked to Hasim to be an undercover officer of some sort. “Another guest has arrived and you will have to handle this one personally, sir. He is making his way here now,” finished the man. Amarjeet walked off.
“What is that about?” wondered Hasim, as Mon, Tatiana, Backsheesh and Tenz walked over.
“I believe someone else is arriving,” said Tatiana answering Hasim’s unspoken question. They looked at the doorway, and saw a man dressed in black attire, almost from a century ago. Shadows seemed to cloud his face, when the light should not have created them in such a way.
Terror struck. None of the children knew why, but they felt it. Raw terror. The man had an air about him, something terrible. He was incredibly handsome, with black hair slicked backwards, but loosely done. He shook Amarjeet’s hand. Amarjeet trembled despite himself.
The man looked around. He seemed to look right through Jacquie, and then Tatiana. The whole room seemed captured by his presence.
“Lord Vykros,” said Amarjeet, “I had no idea you were arriving today. You’re early. Would you care for some wine?”
“I’m precisely on time,” said Vykros, not even looking at the prefect. And I’ve brought my own drink.”
------------------------
“Dirk,” said Blok, surprising him so that he jumped. “We need to leave now. A man has just entered the Café, and he is a terrible man.”
Dirk turned around to see Maziah and Blok. Maziah looked like she was shivering.
“Maziah? What’s wrong? Are you cold?”
“I feel him here. Vykros. He’s come for me. Oh no…” she whispered, “…you’re all in terrible danger.”
“Dirk, take her away from here, right now. The others will meet us back home. I will meet you there too.”
---------------------------
Dharampal stormed past the chidren. He stopped. “Backsheesh, the night is over. I want you to go to bed. I have to take care of our guests.”
“But father—“
“Don’t argue with me.”
“Well,” said the boy turning to the others, “I guess I have to go.”
“Maybe we should too…” said Mon, looking ahead at Vykros, who was talking to Amarjeet and Dharampal.
“Well, I’m sorry to see you leave then,” said Marla Latham, who they saw had come back over to them. “I have to say I’m intrigued by this little band. Would you care to come and visit me tomorrow for tea? I shall be here for the next few days on business.”
Tatiana snuck a glance at Mon to see he was doing the same to her. Jacquie prepared to talk, when Tenz intertupted her.
“I would like that,” said Ten Zil, “maybe Backsheesh can come too?”
“I’d be delighted,” said Marla, and Backsheesh agreed.
“Stop by sometime tomorrow,” said Marla, and Tenz was obviously happy about his. Marla Latham had something paternal about him—something warming. Jacquie looked taken aback, and Tatiana did too—she obviously didn’t trust him. Hasim and Mon watched the man known as Vyrkos.
“Let’s go,” said Jacquie. They all started to try and slip out the door.
“Good night children,” said Amarjeet who was suddenly on them.
“Yes…goodnight,” said Tsuyoshi. The feeling that they were being closed in by more and more people was becoming more apparent.
“Goodnight.”
The group of teenagers made their way home, the whole time worried they would be attacked in the streets. After what seemed like an eternity, they made it to their rooms. None of them could really sleep. A deep loathing had set in, after a day that started off so nicely with the crisp mountain air.
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“We’re going to need to leave Sakkim, and soon” said Jacquie. “We can’t stay here, with the Dark Circle gathering before us.”
“So, we’ll keep going as planned,” said Dirk. “Tenz is going over to see that Marla Latham guy today, and I think Maziah and I are going with him. We can leave tomorrow. You should go with us today Jacquie.”
She was quiet for a minute. “No, I think I’ll stay here and see if anything happens. Hasim said he’d stick around too,” she finished, going back and looking out the window.
“Ooookay,” said Dirk, purposely being sarcastic, and walking out the door. Blok was there.
“He spends an awful lot of time around her, don’t you think?” said the young man.
“Does this bother you?” said Blok.
Dirk gave him a sly look. “You know it does. You know what?” he added, whispering, “I don’t know if I entirely trust him. Something seems off about him.”
“Indeed? One might say that about all of us, I suppose…still, it is good you are on your guard.” Blok continued on towards Jacquie.
Dirk walked on. “And yet, I didn’t find out if he agreed with me or not…” he thought, ready to throw his hands into the air.
------------------------------
Mon flew up the stairs at top speed, letting loose for a quick moment before having to turn the power back off. He’d felt a bit confined lately, not using his powers to their full potential. Still, zipping around a posh hotel wasn’t exactly the type of practice he was looking for.
“Tatiana,” he said, louder than he wanted to. Her door was closed. “Tatiana, most of the others have left for awhile and I’m getting antsy…” he went to open the door, and it was locked.
“Mon, I’m not feeling well,” he heard through the door. She sounded upset. “I don’t really feel like doing much of anything at all today.”
“Tatiana…” he said, this time softer, “what’s the matter? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I just don’t feel up to going out at all. I-I’ll see you later.”
“Tatiana. This is about your skin color. The blue skin. Which, apparently, no one seems to be asking you about. It’s definitely a side effect of your powers…the darkness effecting the pigment of your skin…”
“Please go away.” This time, she sounded more firm.
“I don’t mind it at all,” he said, in a voice that found its footing—soft, but firm too. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Please Mon, go away. You have no idea what I’m feeling.”
“Tatiana, I’ve been different than everyone all my life. I know exactly what you’re feeling—and yet, here you are with seven companions as equally different as any you’ve ever met face to face. Please open the door.”
“I don’t know who you think you are,” she said suddenly in a rage, “but I can feel whatever I want without you putting in. I’m not opening the door.”
“Fine,” said Mon.
BAM.
Quite easily, the broken door creaked open, wooden shards falling to the ground. She looked at him in utter shock, dry tears around her eyes, sitting in her nightgown. Her skin was a pale light blue, and her raven hair made it only stand out even more.
He could feel it. The rage was about to explode on him. A wide grin forced its way onto his face. She was making her way across the room, and suddenly he felt as if the whole armies of Persia were outflanking him. She opened her mouth to yell…
“I think you’re beautiful. The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
In one of those rare instances where you often try everything in your power to remember every millisecond of something but can only remember glimpses and half-memories, the next few moments happened.
Her arms around his neck, her body in his arms, and a deep, passionate kiss.
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“Now tell me, my young friends,” said Marla as he poured them all tea, “what do you know about worldly events?”
Dirk raised an eyebrow at Maziah, but she was too fascinated by their host. Tenz and Backsheesh seemed to be eating up his every word, and had been that way for the good part of an hour already.
“Only what we hear on the news,” said Tenz.
“Hm. The news. Here in India? Or when you were in Southeast Asia? That hardly seems a good avenue to learn about things happening on a much bigger stage. In my opinion, no real avenue exists for the real ‘big picture’ to be scene as it is. Not here, not even in New York.”
“What is happening in the news, Mr. Latham?” asked Backsheesh.
“Well, and now we get to the point. It’s a question of what’s happening in the news and what is not happening in the news.”
“Ok, now I’m confused,” said Dirk. “You mean what’s not being reported.”
“Correct. Such as your group, traveling through Europe. Surely events are playing out here that directly relate to that much bigger stage I was just referring to.”
“Just how much do you know about us, sir?” said Maziah. She had been relatively quiet until then.
“Not nearly as much as I would like. But in a rather less than subtle way of dodging that question, let me go back to the other side of the coin. Do you know what else is happening on the world stage that is being reported?”
“What, you mean the stuff in Khunda?”
“No, no, Tenz, you’re still only focusing on the obvious. I mean the Legion of Super-Heroes. Have you heard of them yet?”
“Y-yes,” said Maziah, suddenly interesting. “Do you know them?”
“I haven’t met them yet, I’m afraid, but I will. And their importance is almost so obvious that many are missing it. A grand, unifying force for this planet. Young, optimistic and eager. A veritable Legion, in the sense that already they number above a dozen, and super in the sense that each one can do things I can only dream of. I would think that you all would have a much keener interest in such a group.”
“Wow, we really haven’t been that secret at all,” said Dirk.
“No, I’m afraid you haven’t in terms of all the people who have ways of finding things out. But consider what could be accomplished by such a unified force, who so specifically believe in ideals no less than super-heroic.”
“Advocates of peace,” said Tenz. “We could fight things people only dream of fighting.”
“Exactly. And unfortunately, advocates of war,” said Marla, turning to Maziah. “Do not forget your sister, Maziah, and that you have friends you have still yet to meet.”
They were all silent. Marla smiled. He stood up. “And that, my young friends, is the end of my afternoon,” he smiled. “Remember the Legionnaires.”
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There are times when events have moved at a steady pace—not slow, but not fast by any means—and then they suddenly quicken to such a fast pace that its hard to process all of the information as it happens. The next hour of Dirk Morgna’s life would always be remembered by him in such a way.
“Come on,” he said to Tenz, Backsheesh and Maziah. “Let’s get back to Jacquie and Hasim. Just to make sure their alright,” he added.
“Dirk, I’m sure they’re alright,” said Maziah.
“I know Hasim’s a jerk,” said Tenz, “but you can cut him a break just a little you know…”
Dirk ignored the comment as Backsheesh looked on in wonder. He saw no reason to tell ‘Kid Psycho’ about his distaste for their Turkish ‘friend’.
“Its hard to tell when Dirk likes a girl,” said Maziah to Backsheesh suddenly, “because we’re not sure if he just flirts a lot or actually likes every girl,” she said smiling. Tenz started to laugh. Dirk shook his head, but couldn’t help but smile.
Suddenly they came to a dead stop.
Up ahead of them, around a bend, stood the man they saw the night before. Hidden in the shadows, almost possible to see. His upper faced was covered in shadow, but they knew it was him. An intense feeling surrounded him, as if all the air around him was hot but the rest of the air was cold. A distorted sense, as if pure negative energy poured from him. Lord Vykros.
“Out for some air?” he said, a slight Eastern European accent noticeable. “Surely you realize that its almost dusk.”
“Vykros…” said Maziah, about to say something, but not finding the courage to continue.
“Lady Maziah,” he said, a smile coming over his face. Only his teeth were visible in the darkness. The street suddenly seemed empty and long on both sides. “It is time for you to come home. It will be my pleasure to escort you there.”
“I-I-I’m not going a-anywhere,” she said, trembling.
“You are,” replied Vykros, opening up his smile wider, so that two teeth became more visible—they appeared to be fangs.
“What the hell--?” said Dirk. “Tenz, Backsheesh, run…run!” he said, and he turned to put his arms on Maziah. The sun seemed to be going down much quicker than it should have been.
“No hurry…” he said, as the four teenagers ran away.
One street over became two, and then five. The four said nothing, dashing around town as quick as possible. Dirk turned. Maziah screamed ‘no!’, and pulled him on. She began to chant and to hymn, and a light began surrounding her hands, as she rubbed them together. She was casting a spell of some sort.
“Let’s just get home,” said Tenz, turning the corner. “We can---“
He had Ten Zil by the throat in mere seconds, and hurled him across the alley. Backsheesh immediately ran to Tenz, as Dirk and Maziah saw that Vykros had cut them off. “It’s too late!” yelled the Vampire, “you must realized I planned for this,” he said softer.
Maziah let out a blast, knocking him backwards, and Dirk realized the Vampire was much stronger than they knew if he could survive that. He survived it, and recovered faster than Maziah had expected. He leapt at them, and now Dirk fired his sun blasts at him, which seemed to have an effect. They scrambled more.
“I’m here,” said a voice, which they realized was Blok. He materialized out of the ground, and ran at Vykros. “Undead abomination,” he roared, “you will terrorize no young girl tonight.” He blows were thunderous and echoed throughout the street. Vykros pounded back, equally as hard.
Dirk ran on, lost in the fray, and realized Tenz was by his side. They were near their hotel now, and burst through the door. They ran up through the lobby, not looking back, into their room, to see Jacquie and Hasim, oblivious, watching the television. “Run!” yelled Tenz, in a panic.
“What--?”
“What’s going on?” said Jacquie.
“We have to leave,” said Dirk. “We were attacked by that Lord Vykros person…Blok is fighting him…where are Mon and Tatiana?...” Dirk was turning around frantic. He was terrified. The Vampire must have some kind of ability to inspire fear, because he could see Tenz obviously felt the same feeling of complete and utter terror.
“Calm down, calm down” said Jacquie. She was suddenly next to him and holding him close, whispering to try and calm him down. He was sweating and his heart was pounding. “We’ll go,” she whispered and then raised her voice to Hasim and Tenz. “Let’s get our stuff. Only the bear essentials like when we came here. Where is Backsheesh and Maziah?” she asked.
“I-I thought they were with us…” whispered Dirk back.
----------------- Blok and Vykros pounded on one another, as the sun truly was setting now. Blok hurled him into an old wall, which instantly was destroyed by the force applied. Vykros leapt back, landing a horrendous blow across Blok’s chest, causing rubble and dust to fall off the massive creature’s frame.
“You’ve long been a thorn to my master old one,” said Vykros, “and it will give me the greatest pleasure to be the one to finally destroy you,” he smiled. Another terrible blow knocked Blok backwards and when the creature arose, he saw his left arm was no longer there.
“NO!” came a girl’s voice and Blok knew Maziah had not left. “Leave him alone!” she screamed, once more sending a potent blast of pure magical energy at Vykros, which charged threw him, almost destroying him.
----------------------- Jacquie, Dirk, Hasim and Tenz ran out of the hotel, and Hasim loudly let out a “Thanks Heavens” when Mon and Tatiana were coming up. Jacquie caught them before they could say anything. “We’re being attacked and need to leave immediately. Blok and Maziah are battling him. Its that Vykros man.”
“I’m going,” said Mon, turning.
“Go,” said Jacquie, knowing it was a good move and not worth arguing. Mon was off.
“Where to now?” said Tatiana, obviously confused by the sudden turn of events. “The boats?”
“I…” Jacquie seemed unsure. “Yes, we’ll go to the boats. This way,” she said, leading them on. They saw some people in the streets, who looked at them funny, seeing how much of a rush the kids were in. Then, up ahead, they saw Amarjeet, the essential prefect of the city.
“Mr. Amarjeet!” said Tenz running to him. “Can you help us, please? We…We need to get out of the city.”
Amarjeet looked at them with a scandalized face, but it quickly faded and he nodded. He seemed confused. “Of course, of course. Follow me, and we will have you safely out of here.” He looked around, unsure of what to do next. “It’s very dark right now for such an early hour in the evening” he said out loud quizzically.
Amarjeet led them through an old building in what they thought was the center of town, but apparently was not. “This is one of the many secrets of the city. It’s an old building that leads out into the mountain side in a small pass through a tunnel. It should help you. But, what about the rest of your friends?” he asked.
“We’ll find way to get word,” said Dirk, now regaining his composure.
“Thank you for helping us,” said Tatiana, “but, may I ask, why are you doing it?”
Amarjeet stopped and thought for a minute. “Quite simply children,” he said, “I’m not. I’m helping them.”
Out of the shadows, they suddenly realized they were completely surrounded by members of the Dark Circle.
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“Leave him alone!” yelled Maziah, as she blasted Vykros. The creature fell.
“Y-your…m-mother,” he said quietly. She stopped, shocked.
“What? My mother, what do you--?”
It was all the time he needed. He gazed directly into her eyes with his own and his eyes went completely red. His voice was different, edgier, razor sharp. “Do nothing. Follow me. Join me to return to your father. Do as I say, ask no questions.” The words were poison coming from his mouth.
“NO!” said Blok, running forward and pummeling a blow into him. “You will not use your vampiric mind on her. I will not allow it!” Blok’s anger was furious and righteous. Maziah meaned so much to him…so much to the world. It could not end here.”
“But I have!” yelled Vykros back. The Vampire had lost his composure and was now completely caught up in the moment. Savagely he pounded back, each blow gaining more and more power until Blok fell backwards. “We have won old fool, beaten you before you could even begin. It is over.” Blok looked up, as Vykros continued to pound on him repeatedly, blow after blow. At last he walked away. I only regret you have no blood for me to feast on this eve. Quietly, he walked off with Maziah.
---------------------
Mon flew around the city looking for where they could possibly be. Up ahead, he spotted something, and saw it was Backsheesh. He scooped him up before the boy could say anything. The young boy, only thirteen years old, was frightened beyond all belief. “I ran…” he whispered again and again, “I ran…”
“Its OK Backsheesh,” said Mon, cursing the fact that he had little bedside manner. “But you need to help me now. Where are they? Where is Maziah and Blok. Backsheesh!” he yelled, and the little boy jumped. “Take me there. Please.”
--------------------
The Dirk Circle were all over them, and a mass of hands were grabbing them, choking them, punching them and pushing them to the floor. They felt immediately violated and abused, tricked and betrayed and led strait into an ambush. Jacquie heard the familiar voice of Tsuysoshi, their leader.
“We do not have the White Witch,” he said and she knew he was smiling, “but we have all of you, and that will be enough!” he said with a laugh. “Keep them on the ground and get them all unconscious as soon as possible. We’ll bring them to the trucks and get them out of India into Russia as quickly as we can. Let the icey cold Siberian weather feel good on their backs as we trek them through the hills.”
Jacquie continued to struggle and she could hear Hasim fighting with all his might. His abilities were incredible, but she remembered his one great weakness, that they only worked so well against one, single opponent. She concentrated hard, as hard as she could. She felt a man’s hand whack her in the head, and it stung terribly. She just concentrated on her not being there. That she, herself, was not there, despite everything else happening. Only the floor. No young girl. No regal Princess, young woman of great character and valor. No young leader, friend to these diverse and strange individuals. No scared young lady, lonely and terrified, lost and afraid. A tear rolled down her cheek.
Things moved so fast. The others were being dragged away. There was at least twenty, no twenty-five, members of the Dark Circle there. They had knocked out Dirk, she heard it, and Tatiana and Tenz were captured too. Hasim fell. Tsuyoshi was gone, they all were. They paid Amarjeet.
More minutes passed. NO. NO! NO!!! Get up! She rose. She ran towards the doors. Gone. They were all gone.
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Mon-El flew down with Backsheesh, and saw the crumbled remains of Blok scattered in the alley. The wise creature was gone. Destroyed and dead.
Or was he?
“I am here Mon,” said a voice and they could see a flicker in the almost life-less husk. “Things have gone terribly but there is still hope. Lord Vykros has taken Maziah, and if she is returned to Mordru, all of this has been for nothing. You must stop him, and you must do it immediately. That is the most important task.”
“Blok, are you…dying?” asked Mon.
“I am not dying, although Vkros destroyed this shell. I must create another. I am the product of this planet, and I have a mission. My mission is not done, and thus I am not done. But I will need to regain my strength before I join you anew. Join you I shall, but you must not let time eclipse us now. Race against it and save what chance we have. I will join you when I can. Go now, my friend, and be the hero you have always been. Find out why you have re-awoken two thousand years later to be one of the greatest heroes of this age.”
Mon-El stood before him, as Blok’s flicker began to fade away. “I will Blok, and I will see you soon.”
----------------
Jacquie ran outside into the beautiful town of Gangtok, to see the dark evening sky. People passed through the streets, and it was an epicenter of cultural activity. It felt clean, fresh, and smelt like cinnamon and tea.
Cold sweat ran down her nose, and her anger was suddenly beaten back by a cold, harsh calm. Up ahead, she thought she saw Amarjeet. She ran after him. No use, he was too far ahead. She ran farther. He was surrounded by people. She wanted her revenge so badly. Her father first. Her country. Her best friends.
He seemed to be walking away, turning down a new street.
What he saw down the corner would haunt him for the rest of his life. All her anger. All her frustration. One illusion. One horrifying, terrifying illusion. They would talk about his scream for many years to come in Gangtok.
Moments later, she was figuring out what to do next when Mon-El flew down with Backsheesh. He looked like she felt and vice versa.
“They’ve all been taken. Taken by the damn Dark Circle. We have to go after them.”
He looked bleak. “We will. But we need to get Maziah first. She’s on her way to her father’s. Blok is…gone. But he’ll return. I’ll explain on the way. We need to get Maziah first.”
“Are you sure?” asked Jacquie.
Mon thought about Tatiana. The kiss. The embrace. Dammnit. “Yes, I am.”
She nodded, and turned to Backsheesh. He seemed overwhelmed. She gave him a smile, and shocked herself by doing it. “It’s going to be alright Backsheesh,” she said. “You’ve been a great friend to us. I promise we’ll return some time and visit. Thanks for everything.” She gave him a hug.
“I’m sorry for everything,” he said, shell-shocked. He felt like he should be crying, but he was being strong. “Be careful. I’ll miss you guys.”
“We’ll miss you too,” said Mon-El with nod. He meant it. “Take care of Gangtok for us,” he added.
“I will,” whispered Backsheesh as they flew away, adding “you can always count on Kid Psycho…”
Mon flew off with Jacquie in his arms. They were deadly serious. “Enough is enough” said Jacquie. “First Maziah, then the rest. It’s time to fight back.”
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Interlude
"I'm going to kill them!" yelled Gene--no, screamed Gene. "What in the hell were they thinking?!!"
Outside of Rex's office, Nura and Lyle looked at one another with squinted eyes, trying not to cringe any further when Gene yelled.
"I don't know Gene," they heard him say, "and I'm not happy about it either. But maybe we should at least hear them out a little...?"
"No, I don't think we should. They went way beyond protocol and organized a Legion mission, with four Legionnaires now missing from the roster. Who knows what danger they're in? I expect this from Norga, since he obviously has no respect for any kind of authority, but the girl too? I don't even know why she's on this team...what can she even do?"
"Now Gene, I know your mad, but take it easy. The last time you made a statement like that you hurt someone's feelings and I talked to you about it. Besides, you know RJ likes that Nura is on this team and thinks its a good idea."
"He does?" whispered Nura to Lyle outside the office.
Lyle shrugged. "News to me."
They started to giggle. "He's so mad..." whispered Nura.
"Cos, four Legionnaires missing. On some mission in another country. We've been spending weeks, actually months, getting our shit strait--getting UN clearance, US government clearence, Health Inspectors regulating the flight rings, telling us not to use the Star Gate techonology, trying to get special citizenship classes for various Legionnaires..."
"I know. And they'd all go crazy if they found out four of us snuck off somewhere on some secret mission. But maybe that's the point Gene. We've spent too much time 'fixing' this minor buerocratic problems when there are other things going on. Maybe Lyle and Nura taking some iniatitive is a little reminder that the reason we're all doing this is more than just a public show of force and unity. There is an important mission at hand."
Gene looked at him. He wasn't convinced.
"Its her sister Gene. And she's been up front with us now that they're gone. Let's figure something out. We can always point fingers later..."
"Better stop giggling..." whispered Lyle to Nura.
"I like Cos..." she said.
"Cute too, isn't he?" said Lyle back.
End Interlude Posted by Reboot on :
This chapter does not occur within a week of the above chapter. We can sort out whether it's before or after later
Punch. Kick. Uppercut. Trinity swirled, her opponent momentarily stunned, giving her time to split without leaving herself vulnerable for the moment it took, then the three of her worked in perfect synchronisation, information on each of their positions and movements travelling instantly between her heads as the three of her moved in perfect synchonisation to finish her opponent off.
"I yield, I YIELD!" Shifter shouted, leading her to stand back.
"Toldya," Purple grinned a moment before she remerged, while Shifter picked himself up and the dents and bruises in his surface rippled and vanished.
"Good sparring," Trinity said as she offered Shifter a hand.
"For you, perhaps," he grumbled - the physical marks of his working-over were gone, but the pains would take a few minutes to fade, "I still can't fight for toffee like this."
"Ah, we'll get you there, even if Val doesn't reappear from wherever he vanished to. This time, I just needed to know where you're at - we'll start properly next time. Now c'mon, I need something to eat and I'd guess you do to."
"You're not wrong," Shifter replied, before adding in an undertone, "although where I put it..." ___________________
"Still not happy then?" Trinity asked before taking a bite of salad.
"Well, hair's hard to do,..."
"You couldn't just be bald? I mean, you've got tentacles on your head!"
"There is no way on Earth, here, now, past, present or future I am ever going to go around with a shiny orange egg for a head."
"Okaaay..."
"And once I'm asleep, I...well, that is,...I turn to gloop," his bright eyes momentarily went black and his expressive face made an expression of disgust. Clearly, he was still adjusting.
"Irma ever tell you about how she found me, the morning after I got my powers?" When Reed shook his head she continued," I was a complete basket case, fit only for a room with rubber wallpaper. My mind had been ripped in three then put back together again - badly - after I made an offhanded wish that there were three of me to do all my work while holding my new oil lamp."
"Oil lamp?"
"You know - Arabian Nights, Aladdin, the type of lamp the genie was kept in? I collect them."
Shifter laughed, making ripples shudder over his whole body, "You found a real genie?"
"Seemed like that - I've still got that lamp, although I haven't actually touched it since..."
"Can I have it?"
"I wouldn't risk giving it to anyone - djinns were malevolent things bound up in lamps to keep them out of mischief in the stories, and I think I got a real mischief maker - one that follows the letter of your command but not the way you wanted, so if you wished yourself back to human form, it'd probably make you a baby or an old man or something. Anyway, can I finish?"
"All right..."
"Anyway, it took Irma hours to piece my mind back together properly, and nearly a week to train me to split without ripping my mind apart again. So don't give up with the training before I've even started.
"Am I right in thinking that if it hadn't been for Irma before, you'd be in an asylum or somesuch?"
"Yes..."
"So why have you not let her help you since you were kidnapped?"
He'd telegraphed the punch, but that didn't mean it hadn't stung all the same - not least since she didn't have an answer as she sat in silence.
Reed decided, after a minute of silence, to drop the subject since he didn't know her well enough to push it - maybe she'd had a falling-out with Irma he didn't know about. But Lorna's problems since her kidnapping were an open secret about the team, and if he could prod her into getting help, so much the better. "Anyway, so how'd you meet Brande? He's not your real dad, is he?"
"Oh no. My real dad was a drunken bastard who made my life hell for ten years until his liver finally gave out."
"Ah. Sorry."
"Don't be, R. J.'s ten times the dad he ever was. The only member of my family I knew and miss is my gran - she was great. Whenever my dad went on one of his tirades, I went and stayed with her, and lived with her after my dad died until..." Reed could see her eyes welling up and went to put his arm around her, but she shooed him off, "No, no, I'm okay. Anyway, I'd just turned fifteen, and I walked home from school to find the house empty and closed, which never happened, and then when I let myself in, there was a note to call the hospital. When I called, I found out she'd had a heart attack while I'd been walking home, managed to call the hospital, but was 'DOA'. That was what the insensitive... person... said, just Dee-Oh-Ay. Then, I just ran. I bundled some clothes and a few other things into my bag and went off before they came back to put me in an orphanage. Long story short, the next day I got sick and collapsed in Brande's stables, and he found me, paid for the hospital treatment, and before I knew it I had a real dad for the first time. What about you, what's your 'Secret Origin'? You sound kind of English, but not quite"
"Not as eventful as yours, I'm afraid. My mum was English and my dad American. When my dad married my mum, he moved to Oxford in England to be with her and I lived the first twelve years of my life there."
"What was it like."
"I liked it, mostly, although I hated prep school even though I didn't have to board..."
"...wait, wait. Prep School? Little Lord Fauntleroy stuff?"
"Well, I can't lie - there were a few of them, but they weren't the majority by any means. Anyway, I finished there when I was twelve, and then they moved here to be close to my dad's family, since my grandmother was ill. My mother opened a costume shop which I became obsessed with and worked in part-time, and used stuff from to stow away with the Legion on your first mission. The rest you know - the odd bomb, and I woke up like this."
"I'll never forget your arms coming out of that goop, pulling yourself out of the bucket and sneezing all over Lyle. You nearly gave him and Sally heart attacks!" she smirked.
"Heh... I don't remember that. I don't remember much from that first week or two after the thing"
"Well, it's true, and I have witnesses who can vouch for me!"
"I shall take your word for it," Shifter grinned for a second more before becoming solemn, "Did you hear about Rex's grandmother?"
"No," Lorna's face fell, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen him today - what happened?"
"He got a call a couple of hours ago. They found her in her house after a fall, and they think she might have had a stroke."
"Poor Cos... I really know what he's going through. Do you know where he is?"
"I think he was trying to get hold of Paul, then he was going to see R.J. for help in getting back to Braydon to see her."
"I'd better go and find him," Trinity said, before draining the remainder of her glass of lemonade. "I'll see you Friday if not before, okay?"
"Of course," Reed said, staying to finish his orange juice as Lorna hurried out.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The feeling was not slow, but gradual. If Blok were to explain it, most people would think it was painful, but it was quite the opposite. As if the time he spent as a 'being' caused all the pain in the world to cease, and his thoughts became purely thoughts again--with no awkwardness or prodding from the outside.
Once more, as he had done countless times, Blok entered the Earthly realm that was the realm known as, well, the Earth. His body destroyed by Vykros (but not destroyed like when he transfers himself to another point on the globe--this was far worse, it was actually destroyed as a part of him was destroyed). Thus, he sank back to where he began, in the center of the Planet, the living, breathing stream of collective life that ensured more life could exist on it.
And he remembered.
The planet lived peacefully and serene for as long as memory could envision, even memory as exponential as that of a Planet itself. Pure, unimbided chaos grow on the surface, which pleased the planet--for chaos such as this caused the chaotic fires of creation, truly nature's (the Planet's) most beloved idea. Out of creation and chaos rose life, and out of life rose creation and chaos, and out of all of this rose civilation. The greatest civilization was the Ancient Kingdom, the era of purity and no limitations, the Empire of Creative Expansion, Ekron.
Ekron, the great Kingdom. Long did it exist, so that it too stretched back beyond the bounds of memory. Surely the chaos of Ekron and the chaos of planetary life somehow ironically formed the positive force known as order.
Then came the day when Mordru sought to put true order on the world and hold it underneath his heel. And by snuffing the chaos of creation and free thought, he thus destoyed the order and the balance.
Civil War.
And Ekron was completely destroyed. Few artificats, less beings and even less histories lived on, and the world changed for the worse. The worst of this worse was that Mordru the Merciless, the destroyer of the Planet's greatest age, was not himself destroyed, and only needed to be reawakened to being anew in his quest to control all that is.
The Planet was almost destroyed itself. A great era of darkness ensued and not only did the natural calamities of such an event hurt the Planet's core, but the consequences on civilization were far worse. The peril it faced then did not abate, and has remained since. For when Mordru betrayed his fellows, he betrayed the sacred order between man and planet, and thus has kept the Planet itself in constant peril ever since.
But the Planet is a living, breathing thing. And it, at that point in time, produced its greatest son to live and die for it, to rise up and carry on its own sacred mission. Nameless, he came into existence to serve the planet and restore the sacred order, by destroying Mordru the most orderly and returning the Planet to a time when it no longer lived in such peril. Nameless, he fought against Mordru for countless Millenia, although often his allies preferred to bestow upon him some moniker. Most recently, they have chosen 'Blok'.
But a name means little to Blok, when his mission is the true definition of what he is. When Civil War broke out in Ekron, it almost destroyed mankind, and most certainly lessened the power that man once had. Gone was the rabid expansin of ideas and creation and the mastery of the limitations of the world. When the Civil War broke out in Ekron, Mordru betrayed the Ekronese and betrayed Mother Terra itself, threatening to destroy its very core, for life cannot live under the boot heel of one man, and without life on the outside of it, there is no life within.
So Mordru must be stopped, somehow, someway. For the Planet and for life. That evening as the Planet revolved around the sun and placed Mordru in the shade, it placed a new creative force in the dawn, and gave the world Blok, a champion for the Planet, and a champion for life.
Once more, Blok returned to the soil, and rose forth into the air. Once more, Blok begins his quest anew.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Mon flew down to the ground at a strong speed, but not so fast as to cause the wind to cut into Jacquie's face. Mon had put on his dark blue cloak/cape and it was billowing in the wind. He held her effortlessly in his arms, and she realized all at once that despite being taller than most girls, she was very small compared to someone of Mon's stature. She held onto all of their stuff--the eight of theirs- that she could carry. She did not want to lose even one item, and she hoped that the Dark Circle had taken the rest of it when they captured her friends. She tried not to think about it. They were here to save Maziah, and that was what was important. The reason Maziah was even there in the first place was because of Jacquie, and the two had a bond that most seldom would ever understand.
"Here. His carriage should be approaching this way, and I've gotten far enough ahead of him. It's still night, so evidently this is when he's strongest."
"Yes, a strigoi. Or Vampire, as the more western of our group would call him. Here we stand, the last remaining force between Mordru and his daughter Maziah, the White Witch."
"The White Witch? I thought only the Dark Circle called her that?"
"She told me awhile ago that people have been calling her that on and off since she was little. She actually doesn't mind it too bad, since its not anything resembling 'the Dark Witch' or the 'Black witch'."
Mon smiled.
Jacquie noticed. "She's simple like that sometimes. She's very aware of who her father is and her and Nura leaving her father was a major step for them. It took fifteen years worth of courage to do that. We can't let her go back."
"We won't Jacquie. I promise."
With that, Mon flew off into the sky, out of Jacquie's sight. As if on cue, a carriage appeared on the dark horizon, the only light letting her see coming from the stars. It was being pulled by two horses and at once she knew they were magical. She concentrated and hoped it would have an effect. Her power was her birthright, but it was magic based. Maybe that would help. She concentrated and thought of serpents and snakes. For some reason, she thought of asps. And if anyone were to view the area around her suddenly, they would see hundreds--perhaps thousands--of asps on the ground. She concentrated hard. She wanted to spook the two horses, magical or not. She, herself, created a massive illusion, and turned into a giant snake. The thought seemed ridiculous and outrageous, a giant snake super-heroine illusionist, but she had to force back inane thoughts at this hour. The pressure of the world was weighing down on her and making her loopy.
She heard a horse buckle back in fear, and it threw the whole cart into dissaray. The harness snapped and the two horses reared in terror at the sight of all the snakes.
Vykros was out of the carriage in an instant, aware that only an enemy could cause the carriage to be disrupted so. He leapt into the sandy terrain and looked around immediately. Jacquie held back a choke. His senses were too strong. Her illusions had no effect on him.
"I see you young princess and I recognize the scent of your kind immediately," he said leaping at her. He was more terrifying than she remebered. His sunglasses were gone and bright red eyes shown, sickly in their lusty color. His white teeth were long and sharp and two larger fangs stood on either side of his mouth. He was on her before she could react, pinning her to the ground. She felt immense, complete fear.
BAM!!!
Mon-El rained down on him with a blow to the back of the head with all the might he could muster with one punch. He said nothing and was all business. This Vampire came close to destroying the wisest creature he had ever met, the one creature Mon felt he could entrust his life to. Only someone with strength equal to Mon could do that. The Vampire fell backward and Jacquie could see in horror that the blow was so sharp that Vykros' left ear had come flying off. Lord Vykros immediately regained his footing.
On the sandy plains seperating India from Pakistan, cold as the night sky, Jacquie stood in horror and Mon-El and Lord Vykros went blow for blow, hammering away at each other. Like some warrior prince, Mon hammered away defiantly, his cape billowing in the wind. Vykros hit back just as hard. The horror wanted to speak, she could tell, but Mon's blows to its faced destroyed the ability to do so. She understood for some reason that it needed to feast on people like Mon and her, to gain their super-human energies to grow itself back to normal.
She was running to the carriage. She ripped open the back to see Maziah, sitting there with a dazed, terrified look on her face. 'Maziah!' she called to no avail and repeated it. 'MAZIAH!" she yelled again. Nothing. She ran out of options. SMACK! she let loose a slap across her face. That snapped her out of it. "What? How dare you--? Jacqie...oh it was horrible...it was..." She stopped. 'Stand back.'
Mon-El and Lord Vykros hammered away blow after blow. Unbeknown to Mon, the great creature known as Blok had arisen from the dirt and watched, preparing to enter the fray himself. "No Blok," said Jacquie. "Stand back."
"Vykros," said Maziah, stepping forward. "You have followed the orders of my father, your Lord Mordru, with great loyalty. In doing so, you have made an enemy of Maziah, the White Witch and my companions. For that, your time is over."
Vykros gave a howl, unable to talk. It sounded like blood churtling in his throat. He had lost all sense of self at this point. He served Mordru no more. He simply wanted to drink the blood from this young female. He leapt at her. She let loose a cascade of pure white light--energy as pure as the sun's own. It ripped through the Vampire. This Vampire, who was hundreds of years old, who had outlived his enemies for centuries, laughing at their mortality. This Vampire, who was now ash, killed during the middle of the night, at the hour he was strongest.
Maziah stood her ground, her clothes torn and her heart pumping. Blok carried Mon-El over, Jacquie notcing his distinctly different looking new form. Jacquie put her hand on Maziah's shoulder.
"He will know now," said Blok to Maziah. "Mordru will realize this is no common enemy he faces any longer. This is his daughter. This is the one he should fear most."
[ January 17, 2006, 08:30 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Most of all, Tenz remembered the cold.
Hauled into the back of big pick-up trucks, he remembers the cold cutting into their backs. It doesn't matter that they had clothes on--they were naked on the freezing trip into Russia. He specifically remembered thinking 'so this must be Siberia'. Dark Circle members sat in the back with them, M-16's in hand, yelling at him if he lifted his head to see where they were. Hasim was bloody, having been beaten viciously for trying to fight back. Dirk and Tatiana were chloroformed, in a ball in the corner of the pick-up, and he felt a sudden great fear for Tatiana and wanted to do nothing more than protect her above all. The ride was long, a hell-frozen journey that he knew gave him frostbite all over his body, in places he never knew could hurt. When they arrived, he couldn't get up. So they hurled him off the truck, and his face hit the rock-hard ice, cutting open his lips. He remembers that was the first warm thing he felt in a long time--his own blood.
Tortured again. They'd come so far, and he'd be tortured again. He knew it. Like the Persuader of Seoul, this was forever going to be his hell.
It was dark and musty, and the concrete was how everything was, very cold. He faded in and out but remembered fighting to stay somewhat conscious, to try and make sure the others ended up somewhere safe. Hasim was hurled into some rat-infested cell, and he remembers there being a large pool of water at the bottom of it. They took both Tatiana and him and put them in the same cell, and once again he was thankful for that--he'd protect her, even if he was so scared right now he just secretly wanted her to protect him. The slapped him around for being awake and kicked Tatiana to the ground hard. He didn't understand a word they said and couldn't tell if it was Japanese, Russian, Chinese, something else or all of those. They worked for awhile on a special cell for Dirk, and he knew it was because they knew about his powers. Up until now Tenz had hoped when Dirk woke up he'd set the whole place on fire and burn them all to hell, but now that didn't look like it was going to happen.
Still, he kept up hope. Because when you're being tortured or imprisoned, that's what they are trying to do to you. Break down your hope, your sense of self. You had to stay hopeful, had to have a plan, no matter how outrageous it was, and if it failed, create a new plan.
Still, it was so cold. All he could think about was the cold.
----------------------------
"Tenz?" she whispered, after what seemed like hours.
"Ssh," he whispered back. "I'm here Tatiana." Her face was covered in dirt and some blood. His was too. She could barely stand up.
"Where have they taken us?"
"I don't know. Siberia, I think. It's so cold, it has to be." She was trying to lean forward, but couldn't. He moved next to her and brought her against him in the corner of their grimy cell. She leaned on his shoulder. She was freezing.
"Where are the others?"
"Hasim hasn't said a word. He's in that cell over there. Dirk's in that special one. He hasn't woken up either. They knocked you and him out."
The heard a large door open, creaking in the night. Rusty metal, and then the sound of boots marching along the floor. The voice of Tsuyoshi, the Dark Circle leader, spoke.
"Are they awake?"
"The Vietnamese one is. He won't fall asleep. The others are still out," replied a guard they didn't reailze was there.
"Very well, perhaps they will enjoy meeting their new master."
Anger flushed through Tenz's face. He couldn't control it. How dare they? "You'll never get me to say that, pig!" he yelled, jumping up with energy he didn't realize he had.
Tsuyoshi walked over smiling. "You misunderstand child," he said calmly. "I dont mean myself. I mean the Warden of this great prison. Allow me to introduce you to the KBG's legendary jailer."
A man stepped forward, in a crisp military uniform, complete with striking hat and baton. His face was dark red--he obviously had been burned badly before in his life. His eye was cut deeply from some sort of knife wound in the past--so bad in fact, that it seemed misplaced on his face, more to the center than it should have been.
"Allow me to introduce Nardo," finished Tsuyoshi.
Nardo smiled. In clear, crisp English he said "Get the hoses and wash them down. They stink. Make sure its extra cold," he finished and began putting on black gloves. "The Dark Circle may be less formal than I like," he said with a hint of a Russian accent, "but you can call me Warden," he added, reaching throw the cell towards Tenz with his baton. Whack! He cracked him across the collar bone with it and Tenz fell. "Welcome to your final resting place."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Day 2
"You realize," said Nardo to Tenz, who was strapped into the seat in front of him. "That your father's death was his own fault. He was weak and did not deserve to survive. Nature has a way of weeding out those who do not have the courage to live, and rewards them with death. Had your father simply shown the fortitude to overcome his aggressors and himself become the aggressor he could have saved his family and thus saved you."
Tenz said nothing and turned away.
"He failed you," said Nardo, leaning in close. The hideous red face was inches away. He could feel it breathing on his neck. Closer. "I could bit a piece of your face right off, you realize. Maybe if you looked more like me, you would look at me more, no? We shall see."
Tenz trembled. He couldn't help it. He was scared to death.
"Ha! Very well, not today."
Day 4
"Why won't they speak near or go near Dirk's cell?" said Tatiana.
"What do you mean?" said Tenz. He was exhausted. He couldn't even open his eyes. When he did, he saw she looked ragged.
"Four days."
"Its been four days?"
"I've been keeping count. They haven't gone near Dirk's cell. They can't just be trying to starve him, because they're doing that to us too. They won't even let him see them."
"They're trying to keep him isolated from us. He can't hear us either, because of how his cell is designed. He probably has no idea that we're here. He probably thinks he's in some hole somewhere and no one is around. Oh God...he has no idea what's going on. He must be going crazy."
Day 6
"Get up," said a guard to the lump on the ground that was Hasim. Hasim laid their in a pool of infected water, ankle deep in his cell. "Nardo would like to see you now."
"Please help me," muttered Hasim, unable to stand.
"Helpless animal. You cannot even get yourself to stand up? Very well," added the guard, coming over to roughly hall him to his feet. He had his hands on him for two seconds. Crack! Hasim reached around and broke the man's neck right there, twisting it brutally to the left. He pulled the guards wooden stick and ran at the other guard. Crack! Instantly the guard caught it in the neck.
It was no use. Four guards ran forward, then four more. They were all over him, beating him and wailing on him. It was no use. He almost made it. But it was no use.
Day 7
"By this time, young Ten Zil," said Nardo to Tenz, "you must be wondering why we have not taken the girl to my chambers and given her the same treatment we have given you. Surely you are wondering why she is not tortured?"
Tenz said nothing.
"Is it because you think we are honorable men and do not make war on women? That we would never harm a girl?"
Still nothing.
"Because we are not. In fact, in the middle of Siberia, we are lonely men. And her pale blue skin is very beautiful to us. Surely you know how men are? Surely you realize the lust each man feels for the girl. Surely you realize what is going to happen to her--and happen soon.
A tear rolled down Tenz's cheek.
"I will be first. Then the rest."
Tenz started to weep openly.
"But you can stop it all. You can stop the beatings on your friend Hasim. You can save the girl Tatiana and make sure the soldiers do not have her. You can even save yourself."
Tenz looked directly into Nardo's eyes. "How?"
"Tell me everything I want to know about the girl you know as Maziah. Everything. And if you leave anything out, I will know. And your friends will pay."
[ January 17, 2006, 07:14 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
It was the ninth day, after Ten Zil decided he'd tell them anything he could if it meant they'd stop hurting Tatiana, Hasim and Dirk, that he realized something very different was happening.
"What do you mean there are no more open cells? This hell hole is vast! There should be hundreds of them." It was the familiar voice of Tsuyoshi
"Yes, there are," said a high ranking guard, "but most are flooded beyond our control. The ice long ago penetrated inside here--don't you wonder why its so cold? Its constantly melting and flooding the whole bunker. It doesn't matter. Nardo said to throw them in with the others. They'll give a brief moment of optimism to them only to later have it squashed."
"This is all a little experiment to him. How did Nardo come to work with us, the great Dark Circle, I wonder?" Tsuyoshi's questions went un-answered. "Very well, then in the with other prisoners they'll have to go"
Now both Tatiana and Tenz tried to position themselves so they could see out their cells. Tatiana noticed Ten Zil had heavy lacerations on his back that he previously had not let her see. Ten Zil noticed that she seemed infinately smaller--as if these last few days had literally sucked some of the weight off their bones. 9 days it had been. Then shockingly, they saw what it was: two young teeange boys, no older than themselves, being pushed through the prison walk-way. One had a green costume on, the other some sort of ninja/samuri get-up (Tatiana wasn't exactly sure what to call it). They looked like boy super-heroes.
"It looks like you all have some new friends," said a guard. The first looked to be Latin-American (or just American?) with jet black hair. He had a bruise over his right eye where he'd been hit. The other was Asian American with short brown hair. He did not look hurt at all. In fact, Tenz couldn't help wondering why they weren't resisting, but realized it was probably the sight of two healthy teenagers in relation to their raggedness that made him feel that way.
They opened up Hasim's door. Hasim looked up, a look of pure hatred on his face. They pushed the first boy in so hard he almost fell into Hasim. "Nardo will want to meet you both soon". Then the second boy, although he barely budged. The guard then whacked the second boy in the back. Apparently, that had gone too far. The boy turned around and grabbed the gun out of his hand, swung it up high and then brought it down hard upon his head. More guards rushed forward.
The Asian-American rushed back out of the cell, chopping and dropping men. Crack. Two more guards down. Tenz's hopes shot up high suddenly. Bam. Another guard. Whack. Another. Hasim was now sitting upright. Suddenly a taser blasted forward and Nardo's voice could be heard loud and clear.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid. Use your weapons you fools. Obviously this boy is extraordinary like the rest. We'll learn why soon enough." The boy was on the ground, shaken from the taser blast. Nardo blasted him again. He kicked him into the cell. "Get the hoses" he said, walking away.
"Val, couldn't you just wait a sec longer...?" said the first boy.
"...no." replied Val.
"Who the hell are you two?" said Hasim.
"I'm Condo," replied the first boy, "and this is Val. We're here to help you."
"Huh. Good luck then."
"You can call us by our other names if you want too. Catalyst and Valor. We're Legionnaires."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"The place is huge Vi, but a lot of it is uninhabited. Still, don't bother going near the soldier's quarters--its disgusting. These men are pigs."
Vi nodded, preferring not to reply to that one. Her imagination already envisioned horrible things being referred to, things she'd rather not think about.
"Tina, what if they saw you?" whispered Vi.
"They didn't," said Tina with a smile. "You know I'm too careful for that. I know you're nervous Sally, but Val and Condo are smart and know the risks. Its the only way we could figure getting them out past these guards while still allowing you and me to sneak around. You know, what we do best," she added wtih a wider smile. She was such a strong-willed girl, thought Sally. She wished she was more like her in so many ways. Smart, pretty, confident.
"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 definately 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 Nowehere, Siberia, Russia. It was a prison, and had been in use by the KBG and then Dark Circle for some time. This 'Nardo' was not a Dark Circle operative, but worked with them. The arrived a day earlier and quickly reconned the whole prison, to discover in horror the four captvies. 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 (or is that 'magical') in nature. So they enlisted the help of some other super-secret group of scientists...the Dominion?...to crack some sort of spell? A 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."
Vi giggled at the sound of 'Brainy'. Spirit giggled too with an 'I know' face.
"This Dark Circle is into some bad stuff," said Vi finally. "They seem really interested in Nura's family."
"Maybe they're all as 'well-endowed' as Nura?" joked Tina
"Well, its her sister especially. This is some weird stuff Tina."
Spirit leaned over and looked at the files. "White Witch? Mordru? Maybe some of these imprisoned teens can shed some light on this..."
They suddenly heard foot-steps and a door creaking. Immediately Spirit went immaterial and fell through the floor, cursing their carelessness and hoping no one was in the room below to see her phase downwards. Shrinking Violet was already small and ran behind the documents, trying to make her way to the edge of the table, so she could leave.
"Why are you so concerned?" said a Dark Circle soldier, apparently to their leader, a Japanese business-man.
"Two teenage super-heroes found wandering way out here in Siberia? Don't be stupid. This is obviosly a set-up. From the report it seems they were caught far too easily. Something's off here. They must be a rescue team."
"Rescue team? But sir, we knew of no previous connection between this group of powered teenagers and the Legion. Why would they now be concerned about each other?"
"There are tons of reasons. Think for a minute. The sister, Nura, is with the Legion. It could be that or many other things. It doens't matter. We've caught two of them, and I'm not convinced there isn't more."
"He's right," said another man. Vi peered around the corner. This man was hideous. His face dark crimson, with burn marks all over Horribly disfigured in a way where he almost looked cartoonish. He was disguting. And he had an air about him that was truly villainous. He stood like an old Nazi. "But its no matter. We shall capture them too and add more to our growing community of super-powered teenage prisoners," he said with a laugh. "Look here. The files are all thrown about. Up until now, this room has hardly been used in weeks. Evidently, someone has gone snooping through here."
Vi choked back a 'damn'.
"What? How?" said Tsuyoshi. "Soldier?"
"Sir, we've seen no one at all in the halls, coming in or out of this wing of the stalag."
"You're not thinking about our opponents," said Nardo, as he began to pick up the documents and sort through them. He seemed to be scanning the room. "One can shoot fire from his hands and the other can digest solid metal. So far, two of them have shown enough strength to kill guards on will. They are far different than any of you." He seemed sharp, moving about the room.
Vi made her way around a bookcase, and hopped down on a chair, then to the floor. Tsuyoshi and the other guard stood in the doorway. It would be too hard to sneak out now. She needed to find a place to hide and wait it out. Then suddenly, Nardo turned around and walked out of the room.
There was a silence. Vi climbed back up to a shelf on the bookcase and moved between two books. No one was looking at her. She moved a paper-weight in front of her and hid. She heard the other two talking. "I do not like this Nardo," said Tsuyoshi. "He's too much of an X-factor." The soldier said nothing. Vi wondered where the soldier's loyalty lied. "But we all have our orders..."
Suddenly Nardo burst back into the room carrying something. Vi hid her head and hoped to God he didn't see her. She felt some shifting around. She felt him hovering near. "See gentleman," she heard Nardo say, "you need to think like our enemies." She suddenly felt the paper-weight shift and looked up to see Nardo looking right at her. In his hand was a can of raid. He blasted it at her, the poision flooding her little lungs. She fell to the ground coughing, vomit soon to be coming up. She heard Nardo laughing, and laughing loudly.
"A mini-Super-Heroine! Beautiful. This may be my favorite one so far." He picked her up, and a plethora of colors and images went past her eyes.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"What do we do with this one?" said a guard, walking past the prison cells. Tenz and Tatiana, starving, cold, wet and exhausted noticed the two newcomers in Hasim's cell spring to life and move towards the bars of their cell to see what was happening.
"We'll have to put her in with the fire one. Which is too bad. I'm considering killing her outright." Nardo's voice was logical and clinical. He was obviously weighing his options. "Up until now, my experiment on the Morgna boy was to use pure silence to see if I could crack him. I thought for sure it would have worked by now. This will ruin it...but I'm not entirely sure I want to kill this little speciman outright. She could be a small doll for my offices!" he added with a 'Haha!'. The two Dark Circle members looked at him funny which he didn't notice. "Through her in with the fire one."
They watched as Dirk's cell began to open. No noise came out and it was pitch black in that corner of the hallway still. Tenz hoped Dirk would rip fire out of the doorway and fry them all, but it didn't happen. One guard hurled Vi into the cell, to which Nardo said "not too hard you idiot."
They walked back and Nardo noticed how close Val was to the bars. "You. You apparently are as healthy as the day you came out of whatever whore of a mother you had." Val said nothing. "Yes, a hero. Hero's are the most fun to break." There was something in Nardo's voice that was different. Pure hate. He looked at Condo. "We'll get to you too." Nardo turned back to the soldiers. "In this cell, we have not one, but two prisoners who have fought back against the Dark Circle and have taken down your peers. Surely these are the two you hate the most?" The guards nodded in agreement, but had no idea where Nardo was going with this. "I propose a fight to the death then. For the amusement of the guards. This one here," he said pointing at Val, "against this one here," he added, pointing at Hasim, who sat in the back of the cell, ragged and peering out through the shadows. "The loser, of course, dies, and the winner will get better lodgings in the officers quarters with a full dinner for himself and two friends of his choosing. Yes, I think this will be a good idea. See to setting it up."
Nardo and the guards walked out. Tenz and Tatiana tried to hear what was happening. Condo looked at Val and Hasim. "This could be our chance. This could be what we're waiting for."
"They've got Vi," said Val. "We need to move quick. What do you say?" said Val to Hasim.
Hasim peered over his knees at Val. He seemed angry beyond belief. Furious in his silence. They couldn't help wondering if he had broke. Hasim said nothing. "I'll do whatever it takes to get out of this hell," he said flatly.
Tatiana looked at Tenz and the two had the same strange look. "This is what Dirk needs" she said hoarsely. She looked at the bars to her cell. In the left corner she had been using her powers to create a darker shadow there, so no one could see in. There, Tenz had chewed through a hole small enough for Tatiana to escape. She looked tired but she smiled at Ten Zil. Her skin was now completely ligh-blue. She looked beautiful with her raven colored hair. "It took me a few days, because I kept thinking Mon or Blok would come free us," she said to Tenz, putting her hand on his shoulder. "But it'll be up to us. And we can do it."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Dirk saw the light come shining in as the door opened. The guards expected him to cringe at the light, but he didn't--he'd been using his powers on and off to make sure he remembered what light was. Such was Dirk Morgna, the Sun Boy.
They threw in a tiny girl, the size of his hand. Now, he knew, he truly had gone crazy. It was almost comical. How long had he been here? Who knew? No one spoke to him in days. (Weeks? Years? No, it couldn't have been). He thought about a lot of things. About his life. About the surrealistic life of a male super-model. How drab that compared to this new life. About how nice Bruce Wayne had been to him and virtually changed his life three years ago. About the current life he ws living with these strange, but wonderful people. Then he thought about movies. And music. And football (soccer to his American friends). Then, for no reason, he recited to himself the entire history of Prague, Bohemia, the Czechs, and then Germany, the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church, and then on and on and on and on and on...
Now, a tiny girl. Yup, he'd lost his mind. She was coughing. No, she was dying. Poisioned. (In his madness he must have gained medical expertise he thought). Should he talk to her? Would that be like admitting he was mad? Or would it be funny, and thus a way for him to beat his madness. She was kinda cute in a six inches kinda way.
He picked her up. "There, there now," he said. "You need to open your lungs. If you were my height, this wouldn't be a problem. Then it would barely phase you." She looked right at him, tears running down her face. The coughing continued. And then quite suddenly, she grew.
Seconds later, Dirk had a full-grown teenage girl (in a very flattering purple costume) on his lap. She had her hands on his shoulders and was breathing as hard as she could, sucking in clean air. She was trying to speak. "...*cough*...panicked...should have grown to normal size...*cough*...too scared...*hack*...almost died until you said *cough* that...lungs are much bigger, able to survive...oh God..."
Dirk, when he realized this should have been the exact minute he really fell over the edge, really lost his mind, really went totally loopy, suddenly felt calm and at ease. "Shh," he said. "Don't talk. Breathe for a minute. Let the air in. You're OK now."
"Thank you," she whispered, still breathing hard. She leanred forward and put her arms around his neck, and her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she repeated. The hug felt amazing. He didn't realize it yet, but he needed it more than she did.
---------------------------------
A brief time later, she sat next to him.
"So, the Legion of Super-Heroes. A very grand name."
"Yes...it is," she said. She seemed a little embarrassed by her earlier willingness to hug him while sitting on his lap. "You've been in here for a long time."
"Only days I hope." He seemed concerned about this.
"Yes, or you would have starved. That reminds me! I have a granola bar in my pouch. You can have it," she added, giving it to him.
His hunger hit him all at once like a ton of bricks. "Violet, I could kiss you," he said. She seemed even shyer at that comment. He couldn't help but like that. "I still might" he said with a bite.
"We're going to get out of here. Valor has a plan, and he and Catalyst are in the cell with your friend Hasim. Spirit is still out there too, she hasn't been caught yet. This is a tougher situation than we planned for (we're all still kind of new at this), but we'll make it out."
"Good. My friends...I can only imagine what terrible things they've done to them. Bastards."
"They're alright, but its only going to get worse. They've been through some terrible things, but I don't think Nardo has progressed to the truly horrendous yet. He builds to it...its part of his torture techniques. I'm...worried. I want to get out of here. My being caught wasn't part of the plan. What if it doesn't work."
"Violet, you just told me we'll make it out. I believed you. Now you're doubting yourself. I think I believe what you said before. We will make it out. I know it."
"I know, I know..." she faded off. "Torture. What a terrible thing. What a terrible world..." she seemed to be a bit in shock over being poisioned still.
"Yes. But people like you are changing that. I know you're worried. Believe me, I know."
"Sorry," she said with a smile. "I've been here thirty minutes and you over a week, and I'm the one freaking out. I just...just want to make sure it doesn't end here. Not now. There's still so much to do in life."
"Like what?" said Dirk. He was enjoying this conversation. It was his first in a long time.
"I don't know...see the Cubs win a World Series. I need to read books I've kept putting off. I...I've never even kissed a boy." She had no idea why she was being so open.
"No?" said Dirk, quizzically. He looked at her strait in the eyes. "Violet, look at me. We're going to make it out of here, ok?" His face was right near hers. He could feel her warmth. "Ok," she whispered. "You can read those books and watch the Cubs..." he whispered back. "Ok," she said. "And..." he faded off. And then he kissed her, slow and softly.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," said Spirit. She was panicking. They had Shrinking Violet now. That was definately not part of the plan. She phased from one room to the next. "What am I going to do...?"
She moved throughout the Stalag, ducking past guards, with no destination in sight. "Everyone but me is captured..." She moved towards the main hall, and found herself back tracking towards the entrance. "Wait, wait, wait," she thought. "Get a grip Tina. What, are you leaving now? Calm down. Think it out. That just means you'll have to free them. Sure, no big deal right? It'd be like sneaking your friends out past their parents. And hell, you're the best at that anyway." She wandered closer to the main doors. This was the most heaviliy guarded of the room.
She stuck her head outside. Snow everywhere. Ice on the ground. It looked biting cold. "Hm...how are we going to get out of here once I break them out? Definately should have that figured out in advance." She wandered a bit more. "Its no use. This is going to be as hard as it gets. Oh well, I signed up for it. Time to face the music. Its only my friends lives at stake." She smiled. "Confident you may be," she sound aloud, "but you're such a drama queen."
"You look like you could use a hand," she heard and turned. And there before her was the strangest site: a girl, no older than herself, standing regally before her, like a Princess. Another girl to her left, wearing a white robe over her clothes, silent but with a determined look. Floating above them, a heavily muscled boy--no, young man, holding a spear. And the strangest of all: a creature made completely out of rock. "Good thing too...because we need a guide to get us in there," said the Princess.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"And so, I have given you this chance, something I would rarely do, to achieve better quarters and a decent meal, for yourself, and two of your companions. All you simply have to do...is kill the other one." Nardo spoke so loudly, and took such great pleasure in how his disfigured face made others nervous, that he was beaming at himself. He couldn't get started fast enough.
There stood all the guards, in the hallway between cells, with Nardo on one end and Tsuyohi on the other. Condo did not feel good about this. The kid, Hasim, had said nothing. NOTHING. They wanted to plan a way to use this to their advantage, to break everyone out, but Hasim said nothing. Val quieted up after that too--Condo thought Val might be thinking of his own life too now. No, this was not how they wanted to do things at all.
"Bring them out," said Nardo, and the opened the cell. Condo didn't move. Val rose to his feet, and for the first time in days, Hasim did as well. Hasim looked terrible. Like a beaten, malnurished dog. But his eyes. His eyes looked like fury. He wanted to kill. He was going to kill. Only then did Val realize how dangerous Hasim was.
"Your name, Legionnaire," said Nardo to Val.
"Valor."
"Hm. Sounds impressive. Yours, young killer?" he said to Hasim, referencing the fact that Hasim had already killed two guards.
"Nemesis," said Hasim coldy.
"Ah! You too have a special moniker! Perfect!" yelled Nardo laughing. One guard looked at another like he was mad. The other guard gave a 'yup' look.
"Well then," said Nardo, slowly, drawing it out. Tenz and Tatiana moved towards the bars. Condo did too. "...begin."
WHACK. Hasim sucker punched Valor with a right hook to the face, knocking him backwards. The guards started to howl. Val couldn't believe he'd just been nailed like that. Hasim was on him immediately, fighting in close. Val double backed with a chop and a elbow to the ribs. Hasim came in hard with a blow to the lower spine. "He's playing for keeps" thought Val, "then so will I." He hit Hasim back with a viscious blow across the chin. The went toe to toe at this point.
"No!" Condo yelled, and Tenz and Tatiana looked horrified. Nardo was laughing. Tsuyoshi looked uncomfortable. The soldiers were screaming with delight. Hasim lept at Val and Val fell backwards, caught Hasim, and flipped him ten feet down the hall, almost nailing Tsuyoshi. Hasim stood up, and a soldier grabbed him--he turned and broke the soldiers neck. Val leapt at him. The soldiers scrambled, moving into fray indignantly, not believing one of their own just went down too.
Nardo could be heard above all, "all's fair boys! He shouldn't have jumped in! Let them fight!" It was to no avail. The tide was moving and the fight continued in that direction on its own. Crack! Hasim nailed Val. Val nailed him back with a kick in the thigh, sending him to the ground. A guard grabbed Val. Val chopped him so quick it sent the guard reeling.
Pure chaos was breaking out. Hasim vs. Val vs. all the Dark Circle Soldiers. They all started getting into it. Evidently, over a week of hearing Nardo torture teenagers had unnerved them to the point where they'd been itching to do something, even if it meant a small riot. The fight continued down the hall.
"Are you crazy?!" said Val, grabbing Hasim by the throat. Val was covered in blood and bruises.
"Its working, isn't it?" said Hasim angrily. Val stopped. So, this was an act? Or was Hasim just playing it by ear at this point? It didn't matter anymore. They were far enough from the cells. Time to forget this Nemesis vs. Valor fight--it was time to fight the Dark Circle.
----------------------
And quite suddenly, with Nardo running after them, the soldiers were all gone.
"Is that...Is that part of the plan?" said Tatiana to Condo across the hall.
"I guess," replied Condo.
"Good enough for me," said Tenz, yanking back the bars he had chewed threw. It was a small hole. Tatiana fit through with ease--ten days of starvation had not been kind to her thin waste.
"You too Tenz. It probably will be just as easy," she said. They turned to Condo.
"No worries," he said, using his power to accelerate the rust at an incredible rate. "I've been doing this to the bars all day. They're useless. Hi," he added, breaking out of his cell and meeting them face to face, "they call me Catalyst."
"Tatiana Mallor," she said, and a smile came across her lips for the first time in what felt like eternity, "and this is Ten Zil Kem."
"Charmed," said Tenz hurrying, "but what about in there?" He was pointing towards the cell with Dirk and Vi.
"On it," said Catalyst quickly, as he laid his hands on the hinges. "I have some degree of increased strength, so once I rust the hinges, I should be able to yank it off. We need to be fast before the soldiers realize what's happened."
---------------------------
Valor and Hasim now stood back to back, against all the soldiers. One by one, the Dark Circle began to fall.
"Nardo, you fool! This is your fault!" yelled Tsuyoshi
"Yes, but look at their unity," he said, "its amazing. Who would have thought? I'll remember this for the next time--"
"Next time? Everything is ruined! Are the other prisoners even being watched--?"
BOOM!
"What the--?"
A burst of pure, white light entered the main entrance of the stalag, and gusts of freezing cold icestorms breezed in. Standing before them was Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal. The White Witch. And before they could react, Monius Elysius, carrying Tatiana's spear, flew in at top speed, past them all, grabbing them one by one, and ending any chance of conscious thougth.
--------------------------------
Dirk and Shrinking Violet first heard the creaking and moving of the door, and felt a strange anticipation build. And then, not so suddenly or quietly, it was ripped off. Before them stood Condo, Tatiana and Tenz. Dirk just smiled. Vi helped him to his feet and he came over and hugged his friends.
"Dirk...we were so worried," said Tatiana, not being able to hold back a tear. Tenz hugged him twice as hard.
"Lets get the hell out of here," he said, and they moved forward.
"Need a hand," said a voice and they turned to see Spirit, phasing into the room through the door. She had a bright smile on her face. "Consider this jailbreak in full effect. She went solid and kicked open the door. Jacquie walked through. "Yes, it definately is," she said with a smile. Her smile left her lips though when she saw her friends. She ran over and gave Tatiana and then Dirk a hug. They looked terrible--starved, beaten and exhausted.
And then without warning, Nardo walked into the door. And he saw them all, shocked, and dropped his baton. Quickly turning, he ran out of the room. "NO!" yelled Dirk, and he was after him. They followed.
--------------------------------
Mon-El, Maziah and Blok continued to round-up as many Dark Circle members as they could while Hasim and Valor fought on. Hasim stopped for a minute, catching his breath, and up ahead he saw none other than Tsuyoshi watching Maziah. He ran at him.
Tsuyoshi pulled a gun out and aimed it at him. "Fool! I'll still kill all of you if I must!"
It was no use. Hasim had a strange power--he could defeat any one opponent. The gun misfired and Hasim had it out of his hand so fast, Tsuyoshi had no idea before Hasim used it to crack open his face. Tsuyoshi whispered something about it not being over, but for him it was--Hasim had been pushed too far. Crack!
--------------------------------
"Dirk, wait!" screamed Jacquie, but Tenz grabbed her arm.
"Its too late Jac. Let Dirk go."
"You're not going Tenz?" said Tatiana, knowing full well the extent of torture Tenz had gone through.
"No. I just want to leave here."
"Let's go then," said Jacquie. Up ahead they saw Blok.
He was solemn. "Let us leave now," he said. And then in an act of humanity, he reached down and scooped up Tatiana into his arm, and then Ten Zil too and carried both of them out.
-------------------------------
Nardo was out the door and on the ice before Maziah and Mon saw him run by. Everyone was pouring outside at this point, and Dirk knew why. Mon-El and Maziah were going to destroy the base completely. They would raze it to the ground. Good. But he wanted Nardo.
Nardo ran across the ice and knew he was in pursuit. He turned, and saw Dirk Mornga running after him, just in time to see Dirk fire a blast of pure heat towards him, knocking him off his feet and onto the ice hard.
Dirk started to slowly walk forward now. "You are filth, Nardo. Pure filth." He wanted to say more, but just didn't have the words anymore.
He began to heat up the ice Nardo was standing on. Nardo watched defiantly. "You won't do it. I'm not afraid of you burning me alive! I've done far worse! Haha!" He was a lunatic.
"Goodbye," said Dirk, and Nardo realized his plan. The ice gave way underneath and Nardo fell into a watery pond out in the middle of Nowhere, Siberia. It was ice cold. Dirk continued to melt the ice around him. It grew in size. It would take a miracle to pull him out. Slowly, Nardo sank.
Dirk walked back.
-----------------------------------
With a show of incredible force, Mon-El and Maziah shut down the Siberian Dark Circle base--permanantly.
"Here," said Tina, helping everyone onto a truck she had stolen. They managed to get one out, but the others were destroyed. They had blankets and rations for them. Condo was driving, but the inside was saved for the coldest (Tatiana and Hasim). "We'll get you whatever you need," said Tina now, taking charge.
They left the Dark Circle soldiers there in the midde of Siberia, at the destroyed base, with their leaders dead and gone. "Let them figure out how to survive," said Tenz.
No one said anything for some time.
Mon turned to Tatiana and handed her the spear. She took it and he held her. She was too weak to reach all the way up arond his large frame, so he held her. Dirk finally let go and collapsed in the blankets. Vi held him tight also. Val and Hasim nodded at each other, and there appeared to be some animosity. Perhaps Hasim had been so ready to survive he would have killed Val? Jacquie wrapped her own personal cloak around Hasim and had him sit in the truck next to her. He was asleep in minutes. Blok could have journeyed through the Earth to wherever they were going, but stuck it out, adding warmth to the back of the truck. Tatiana reached out her hand to Tenz, who took it. She smiled at him.
"Where are we going?" said Condo
"Train station some ways away from here, but its there. We'll drive all day if we have to," said Val. "As long as we leave here."
-----------------------------------
Nardo floated for some time, freezing to death in the icey cold water. This death was a torturous way to die. That, he had to admit, was slightly humorous. More than slightly.
And Nardo enjoyed a hearty laugh.
Posted by Reboot on :
quote:Previously: "You're going?" Tom sounded shocked.
"Tom, you've known for ages I needed to go, and I've waited too long as it is. I'm more grateful than you could know for what you and your family have done for me, but if I don't go soon it'll be too late to save everyone else who didn't escape McCauley's clutches."
Tom swallowed, "Then I'm coming with you."
***
She dropped to the ground lightly, and said "hi." The big guy instantly headed the other way, tossing and tumbling up ten stories before he caught himself.
Tikhik thought for a moment, shrugged and said, "Hello, I'm Tikhik Miraz and my friend-" he indicated with one of his pincers the guy who was now trying to control his descent "-is Tom Kallor."
"Ming Sul, pleased to meet a couple of fellow warpies."
***
"So let me get this straight," she spoke up again after a couple of minutes, "...this guy turned you..." - she gestured at Tikhik - "...into a bug, killed a lot of people and brainwashed another lot and you want everyone to know about it. And you're..." - she looked at Tom - "...going along to help him because you won't let him go alone."
"Essentially," said Tikhik.
"Then I'm coming too."
[...]
"Better pack plenty of warm clothes and blankets," said Tikhik as Tom looked shocked, "we're going to end up in Siberia or Alaska or both before we reach our destination."
"Okay, wow."
"You get used to it"
"Do NOT ask me where we are. I haven't a clue."
Sul, Tom and Tikhik had emerged from the teleport gate into a crowded street, choked with cars and people. A few gawped, but most carried on through without blinking.
"Sul, can you read that sign?" Tom pointed out a cardboard sign on a lamppost, written with oriental characters.
"Uh-uh. English and Cantonese only. I don't think it's Mandarin though, so it might be Japanese. Might."
"Are you two planning to stand here all day? I don't want my tail crushed underfoot."
"Where do we go?" Tom shrugged. "I don't see any open spaces we can stop on, and there's no friendly people stopping to help us like Ming did in Hong Kong."
"One of these days, I'll drum into you that "Ming"'s my surname, even if it comes first... watch this," Sul sighed, took her huge backpack off and proceeded to shimmy up the nearest lamppost. She clambered back down with bad news. "Tom's right, there's nowhere unclogged at ground level as far as I can see. If we need somewhere to stop for five minutes, we're..."
"Not leaving this city, I couldn't manage another long-distance gate right now."
Sul muttered a non-English word, while Tom said, "We need to go somewhere - find an empty house, a warehouse, somewhere we can sleep tonight..." after which he and Sul looked at Tikhik.
"I am not teleporting blind into people's houses on a vague chance their houses might be empty. People have a right to privacy."
"Tik, let's just look around for a while before we get arrested for standing about like this then, huh? We're a bit noticeable." Tom finished.
"Fine, but I'm only going in if the place looks completely empty." ___________________
As they stepped through the gate into the fifth apparently-empty flat they'd tried, Tikhik gasped, "If this one isn't it, you can carry me out. No more portals."
"You said that last time," said Tom, squinting into the dark apartment.
"...and the time before," added Sul, whose enhanced night vision meant she could see clearly even in the low light. "Looks promising, hang on a minute."
She dashed through the apartment quickly and came back to where the other two stood a few minutes later. "This looks like it - it's been stripped bare apart from a small pile of junk in one corner. There's cold water and a toilet but no power or hot water. Should be okay for an indoor campout for a couple of days without getting disturbed - the dust is about an inch thick!"
Tom put his rucksack down on hearing that and began feeling around the outside pockets for a torch, but Tikhik, absolutely exhausted from teleporting just crouched down, pulled the bedroll off his back and was asleep within seconds of crawling inside. ______________________________________
When Tikhik awoke, it was near-enough midnight local time. Walking through the open door - his night vision wasn't as good as Sul's, but it was still more than human - he found Sul and Tom sound asleep in the next room, sleeping bags wrapped around themselves, the camping stove they'd used to cook their meal of tinned beans & sausage still lying there, along with the remnants of the meal itself.
After the uncomfortably lengthy process of a visit to the toilet, he stopped and wondered what to do. He was wide awake and not particularly hungry, but he was nowhere near ready for the next long jump even if Sul and Tom had been.
Coming to a decision, he walked back into the room he'd slept in and proceeded to open and close a gate there a few times, increasing the size of the "scar" and ensuring he could easily teleport back. He then opened a gate properly, and exited to go for a walk... _____________________
He exited onto a side-street, far quieter than where they'd landed earlier, yet still not deserted despite the hour. Ignoring the glances from passers-by, which he was used to by now - a thought which depressed him in and of itself, he walked with no direction or destination in mind for some time.
Eventually, he noticed the pavement traffic start to thin, but didn't think much of it as he turned down a side-street and then into another one. There, he stopped abruptly upon seeing a teenage girl, lying unconscious on the ground, being kicked by a gang of six or seven youths.
Instinctively, he immediately opened a portal beneath her and teleported her to his side, wincing slightly as she fell to the ground beside him. The gang spun around, looking for their prey. When they saw her and the giant insect standing over her, several of them shrank back from a confrontation with the demon with glowing eyes. Others, braver or stupider, charged at Tikhik. However, Tikhik opened a pair of specific portals, and the leader fell, stuck halfway, his legs waggling uselessly in the air behind him and almost kicking him.
"‹Leave now.›" Tikhik spat the Russian words at them. Though they could not understand the words, they understood the tone and those who were able scarpered, while the final one followed once Tikhik widened the portal and allowed him to fall to the ground.
"‹Barbarians...›" Tikhik muttered, relieved he hadn't been forced to follow through on his implied threat as he looked at the girl he'd saved. Close up, she was older than he'd thought - 16 or 17, although her slate-grey hair made her look older still - and didn't look or feel badly injured by the boots of her assailants, although his claws were not the best means of detecting such injuries. What she did look and feel, however, was dirty, malnourished and in a baggy lilac poloneck and brown ankle-length skirt that had seen far better days... _____________________
Tom yawned as he awoke. Sleeping on the floor with an air-mattress and sleeping bag was more comfortable than Sul's tiny couch and he didn't have a crick in his neck on waking up for the first time in three days. The bare window showed that it was still dark outside, and Sul was still fast asleep in her own sleeping bag.
He yawned again, stood up and stretched before looking at his watch. No wonder he'd woken up before Sul for once, he'd only been sleeping for four hours. Wondering what woke him up, he grabbed a torch and decided to look in on Tik. When he did, he got a surprise in the form of a girl with grey-black hair lying on the floor beside Tikhik.
Before he spoke, Tikhik turned and looked at him, "Tom? Thank fairness - help me put her on my bed, gently."
Without a word, Tom set down the flashlight where it would still help him, and tried to get his hands under her armpits to lift her, before pulling back with a yelp. Tikhik looked a question at him, and he explained "I got an electric shock off her sweatshirt - it must be nylon or something." He pulled his jumper down over his hands and did it again, and started to shift her in the right direction - when the torch failed. Instantly, Tom froze, planning to set the girl down gently before moving her any further in the dark.
"Leave it." Tikhik opened two gates above them. While the green glow from them wasn't hugely bright, it was enough for even Tom to see by, and he completed setting her on Tikhik's bedroll without further incident.
"So who is she?" Tom finally asked his friend, who explained the circumstances in which he found her. After listening patiently, he said, "I get why you couldn't take her to a hospital, and obviously you couldn't just leave her on the street, but what now?"
"I don't know. She has no broken bones that I can tell - there are a few cuts, and some bruising may show soon, but I think I found her just at the moment they started."
"I meant..."
"Hi guys." Lost in thought and talk, they hadn't noticed as Sul walked in, stretching. Noticing the girl lying on the floor in the early daylight coming through the window, she said, "Do you make a habit of picking up girls everywhere you go? I'd just like to know now."
"I went for a walk, after an hour I found her under the boots of a gang kicking her to death. Do I need to give a blow-by-blow account?"
"Shouldn't you be taking her to a hospital then?"
"If you know how to find one, explain to the staff what happened and pay the bill without speaking or reading a word of the language or having any of the local money, of course. Besides, I don't think she's badly injured, I caught them just as they were starting."
At that, Sul bent down to feel the girl's forehead, before pulling her hand away with an "ow" as a spark jumped from the girl. Intrigued, Tikhik touched the back of his claw to her forehead, but the spark that resulted was smaller and he didn't feel anything.
"Your shell must be non-conductive," Tom mused.
"I think we guessed that," muttered Sul, sucking at her sore finger. "Hang on a minute," and she left the room briefly before returning with two pairs of rubber gloves. "I spotted a packet of these on the junkpile earlier," she explained as she tossed one pair to Tom. "Warpies, warpies everywhere... that must be why your thugs were 'kicking her to death'."
"What do we do then?" Tom asked, putting the gloves on too.
"We wait." Tikhik replied. "I'm not leaving her here in this state with a group who tried to kill her not far away. With luck..."
Just then, the girl stirred. Moments after her eyes flicked open, she was standing, her back against the wall, metres away from them having moved faster than even Sul could follow. Her mouth opened, but it may as well not have for all they understood her. Even over and above their inability to speak her language, she was speaking at a rapid-fire pace they would have struggled to understand in their native tongues.
"Slow down, we are not going to hurt you," Tikhik said in English, before repeating it in Russian just in case and Sul followed, saying the same thing in Cantonese.
A look of intense concentration covered her face, and she answered in English at a very slightly slower pace, "Itsnotjustme-Idontwanttohurtyou"
"Why would you?" Tom asked
"ElectricityOverchargedBoom."
"Boom?" Tom looked at his two companions
"What's your name?" Tikhik asked quickly
"NorikoAshida-Nori."
"Nori, could you discharge safely if I got you to an open space?"
"I thought you said there WERE no ope..." Sul began to say before being cut off with a look from Tikhik.
"Yesbut..."
"Right," Tikhik opened a portal in front of her, which made an unusual sucking noise, "Tom, I need you to make her light as soon as she's through the portal. Lean through after her if you need to. Nori, walk through at normal speed now."
Nori visibly tried to keep her speed down, but still went through at tremendous speed, when Tom immediately tried to obey Tikhik's instruction, but Nori's scream and Tom's "What the bugger?" rang through.
"TOM!" Tikhik yelled, worried he had let Nori fall as he lent through the portal himself, which exited above the thin cloudline.
"I've... got her, but so has the wind," Tom muttered through gritted teeth, and I don't know how much longer I can keep her up before she's out of my range."
"You won't have to," Tikhik muttered himself, clamping his beak tight shut as he opened a wide portal to catch Nori from being swept away, then strained to keep it and the closer partner portal open as well as the ones they were leaning through. "NORI. DISCHARGE!" he yelled, and in response had a tremendous flash which blinded both him and Tom for a moment. When his vision cleared, he saw Nori falling, but managed to create a portal under her in time, which she entered vertically and exited horizontally toward them at tremendous speed. Tom desperately reduced her weight as she tumbled toward him, but still fell backward as she hit him, fortunately not causing significant injury to either. After the ordeal was complete, all three collapsed - Tikhik and Tom exhausted from the strain, and Nori out cold.
"What now?" Sul asked after she thought she'd given Tikhik and Tom enough time to recover.
In response, Tikhik sighed and said, "We wait until we can ask her some questions. Given that she's starving, dirty, overloaded, in danger and quite possibly homeless though, I will not just leave her here to die."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Riding the Intra-Euro Express
Thankfully, it was only a days ride to a train station. A day driving in the freezing cold, holding on to one another for warmth, trying to smother each other in blankets. Mon stayed with them and Blok stayed with them--they needed the warmth. But they finally got to one.
They were twelve now, but there was plenty to do. Tenz, Tatiana, Dirk and Hasim had been starved for ten days. Luckily, the Dark Circle had supplied them with enough to water so they wouldn’t drop dead. They needed to eat, but too much too quickly would overdo it. Jacquie saw to this. Mon couldn't believe how tiny Tatiana looked. It was breaking his heart. They were all frozen too…there was a genuine concern that they would come out of this with pneumonia or something worse. It was Dirk’s power of course that saved them from that—he kept generating enough heat to ‘warm them up’.
The four Legionnaires did everything they could. They checked train schedules, did a count of all the stuff they had (a lot of what they had with them had been lost). Blok, of course, could not come near the station, despite it being out in the middle of nowhere. Maziah stayed with him on the outskirts.
“They’re all so close,” said Condo to Tina. “It’s like each one is best friends with the other.” They were watching as Jacquie made sure they were all eating. Mon, usually serious and tense, was actually laughing and trying to keep the mood light, between rubbing Tatiana’s shoulders and then rubbing Tenz’s with his ‘super-strength’ to make him squirm.
“They’ve been through a lot together. I hope the Legion grows more and more like that,” Spirit replied. “I’m not sure why this group doesn’t just join the Legion here and now. It makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does. But apparently they have sort of mission to attend to, and it stems from Nura’s sister.”
“Maziah. Where is she?” asked Spirit.
“With the rock creature. He seems to be the one guiding them on this mission.” Condo looked over and Vi had joined the group, sitting next to Dirk and Jacquie. She was motioning Val over to sit with them, and he did, next to Jacquie. Condo noticed a lingering animosity between Val and Hasim. Hell, there seemed to be a hidden animosity between Dirk and Hasim too. Some type of mutual dislike and mistrust.
“That’s our cue Condo,” smiled Spirit. “When Vi gets the courage to sit with the other group, it means you and I should be mingling too. We’re all in this together for a little while longer.”
Hasim was next to Jacquie, who was making sure he was eating. He liked being close to her—and didn’t like anyone else being so. Jacquie, however, was acting more maternally than anything, at least in Val’s mind. As if she was making sure Hasim was being fed and taken care of, because the rest of group was not paying any attention. Val liked Jacquie immediately. She was strong and a definite leader, but she was very feminine and beautiful too. Val remained somewhat quiet, but not too much like Vi. She was the first to walk over but she said little. In fact, she kept paying attention to the Morgna kid more than anything.
“So, you’re Dirk Morgna, famous super-model?” said Tina sitting down with that easy-going smile. She sat next to Tenz, who uncharacteristically became nervous.
“Yes, that’s the Sun Boy,” said Hasim for him, with a snicker. Dirk shot him a look.
“I guess you don’t like being called ‘Sun Boy’ anymore?” said Condo.
“No, I hate it,” smiled Dirk. “It was OK when I was fourteen, but I’m over it.”
”You know Bruce Wayne too?” asked Tina.
“Yeah, he’s a great guy. Not much older than us really…”
“You know, our group has all codenames, and there’s people with similar names to ‘Sun Boy’,” said Val suddenly. “We have a ‘Cosmic Boy’ and a ‘Kid Quantum’ to name a few.”
“You think we should have codenames?” asked Tenz. “But we’re not Legionnaires.”
“Not yet,” said Tina, still smiling. “But I’m thinking maybe you should be.”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Mon suddenly, and quickly. He evidently didn’t want them to seriously consider this. “From what I’ve learned of your group in the last day, it sounds very idealistic and something that could be truly beneficial to this age. But we have our own concern right now. Unfinished business that must be taken care of. Although she’s not with us right now, Maziah, and Blok for that matter, is never far from any our thoughts.”
They all seemed intrigued, Tina especially so. “We’ve heard about this a little. But Maziah is Nura’s sister, who is also a Legionnaire. It seems to me the two paths don’t have to be mutually exclusive,’ she said. Before anyone could reply she added, “but there’s no need to commit to anything now. Just a thought. Super-powered teenagers that act like heroes…it just seems to fit,” she finished.
It was quiet for a minute.
“I think Dirk should be Sun Boy,” said Tenz finally. They all laughed.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Not soon after, they all boarded a train, heading out of Siberia and into Europe again. Siberia, to them, would always be neither Europe nor Asia. It would be a cold, lonely, frozen hell on Earth.
“Those were some incredible fighting skills,” said Val to Hasim. He was passing him in on the way to the bathroom. They had a whole train car to themselves.
“Thanks,” said Hasim. He did not return the compliment.
“What’s his problem,” whispered Vi to Dirk. She was sitting next to him again, this time on the train car. Hasim was near them, but sitting by himself. Jacquie was talking to Mon in the back.
“We don’t know,” said Dirk. “But I’m glad you noticed it! Up until now Tenz and I thought we were the only ones.” He smiled at her. She still remained very shy, but they definitely shared a ‘moment’ at Nardo’s Gulag. She was very pretty.
Farther back, Condo was talking to Tenz. “Still thinking about codenames?” said Condo.
“Not really no,” said Tenz. “I’m thinking about super-hero uniforms. You guys have these cool ones. I thought they would look a lot stupider in real life, but they seem to work pretty well. We should have them too.”
“But, I thought you guys weren’t going to be super-heroes?”
“I’m not sure if eating matter in all forms is a real super-power…”
“Are you kidding me?” laughed Condo, “that’s the most original power ever! You’d be like the Sex Pistols of Legionnaires!”
Farther back stood the massive form of Blok. It had gone on long enough, they had decided, that Blok had to sit farther away from the group. Tatiana couldn’t take it anymore and simply used her darkness to cover him, leading him directly onto the train. Maziah seemed to think this should have been her responsibility, so she cast a minor spell so only the eleven of them could see him. She now stood by his side. Blok and Maziah had no problem with the rest of them telling the Legionnaires about Mordru and their story. After all, they were Nura’s friends and allies. But they did not tell the story themselves.
Blok looked slightly different now. More rounded and curved, almost slightly more human. His old form had been completely destroyed by Vykros, and it was of some comfort to know that Blok could live through such an attack and still be the same old Blok.
“This is all so amazing Blok,” said Maziah. “First Marla Latham tells us all about these Legionnaires and now we meet them. And Nura is such an important part of their group!”
“I agree Maziah,” said Blok ominously. “Surely this is a sign that we have a chance against the strength of Mordru? After all, where both large armies and countless individuals with amazing abilities have tried, it make take a Legion of these amazing individuals to defeat him this time.”
Maziah smiled at him. She had grown to trust him so much. “You smile as if you had some hand in this meeting, Blok. I fail to see how that could be so, but your mysterious to me even now.”
“My apologies Maziah,” he said.
“I don’t mind it,” she smiled back.
The two of them were supposed to be listening as Jacquie spoke to Spirit, with Mon-El and Tatiana as well. It appeared that Spirit had taken on the role of ‘field leader’ for the four Legionnaires and was doing all that she could to help plan their next moves.
“I guess we always just figured England would be were we’d be going,” said Jacquie. “Back to Tatiana’s manor.”
“To be honest,” added Tatiana, “we really had no real plan after that. Just get home and then make our plans on how to deal with Mordru.”
“Well, the UK is still a far way off,” said Spirit. “I am from Austria, and my mother is a diplomat there. If you’d like, we can all head to Austria and stay there for a brief period, so that you’re not constantly on the move. You can stay there all you like, we’ll even stay with you. Since you would only be returning to England to plan, you can plan there.” There was a genuine since of wanting to help on her part, and it was that honesty that made them trust her. Otherwise, it might have seemed to she was asking too much.
“That might be a good idea,” said Jacquie. “After all, it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as it’s safe.”
“I have no need to go back home,” said Tatiana. She held Mon’s hand tighter. She had found her place in this world. The kiss with Mon back in Sakkim was still never far from her thoughts. “Will it be a problem for us to show up unannounced?”
Tina thought about it for a moment. “Not if I can get there ahead of time. I don’t think it will be a problem at all. I’ll make sure all accommodations are taken care of—my family is very well off so there won’t be any problems,” she finished. She turned to Mon, “I’m sorry about before. I don’t want to seem pushy…I just wanted you to know what I thought…” she drifted off. Mon could be intimidating in his seriousness upon occasion.
He smiled at her. “I understand.” He turned to Jacquie and Tatiana. “If it will save time, I can take Tina to her home and get there in less than a few hours. That should more than enough time to give us the head start we need.”
”You can?” asked Spirit.
“I’m very fast when I fly,” replied Mon. He turned to Tatiana. He was unsure, but she seemed very put-off suddenly.
“That sounds like a good plan,” said Jacquie. “You two go on ahead and will take the connecting trains into Austria. Just a nice day or so of train rides through Eastern Europe…” she said, letting them see her exhaustion for the first time.
“We all need rest,” said Tatiana. “This will give us a good opportunity to get some.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“Where’s Mon?” asked Tenz when Tatiana sat back down next to him.
“Gone. He flew up ahead.” She did not look happy.
“Hm, good thing you seem so OK about it,” said Tenz.
“He’s with ‘Tina’,” she said, making a face as she did it. “You know, little Ms. Perfect Legionnaire.”
“Uh, yeah…” said Tenz, realizing this might not be the best time to joke with Tatiana. “…I, er, didn’t even notice her before…”
Tatiana couldn’t help it. She was mad. She desperately wanted Mon to stick around. After all that just happened to her, she just wanted some comfort…some time with him. But no, he has to run off with the cute little Legionnaire while she stayed her with her ‘blue-skinned, tortured self’. As she thought those last words to herself, she cringed at her own annoyingness, even to herself.
“I don’t blame you,” said Condo to her quietly. “Tall, chiseled, strong jaw line? That Mon-El is a babe,” he smiled at her.
“Waitaminute,” said Dirk to Vi. “Val teaches you all how to fight? From what Tenz told me, the guy kicks ass like no one else.”
“Yeah, he’s trying to help out a lot of us that never really have been in a fist fight before,” replied Vi.
Dirk looked over at Val. He was in the seats behind Hasim and Jacquie. Jacquie had finally fallen asleep, and now Hasim was awake next to her. Even when he thought no one was watching him he looked mean. Dirk thought he was guarding Jacquie like some crazed German Shepard. Then, surprisingly, Dirk saw Val try to look over and see what Jacquie and Hasim were doing…why was that? Ah.
“Val,” whispered Dirk. “I here you teach the Legionnaires how to fight.”
“I do,” said Val. “Do you have any training?”
“No, but I was hoping you could teach me too. I’m tired of getting captured and beat-up.”
“I would gladly teach you,” said Val with a small nod.
“Great. I’ll do what I can for you in return…” he said with a smile, and then a nod in Jacquie’s direction.
“Children,” said the voice of Blok suddenly. He was hovering over them all. “I would recommend you use this time as the Princess has, and get some rest. You are all exhausted and need it. Even you Hasim.”
There was a finality in his voice that made them not want to question him.
“When did he get all fatherly?” asked Dirk to Vi and she giggled.
“Blok, you didn’t go to Austria ahead of everyone too?” asked Tatiana. “You usually do that.”
“I know,” replied Blok. “But I wanted to stay with Maziah right now…she’s been through a great deal.” He walked back to his seat.
Tatiana fumed.
Posted by Reboot on :
Extract from the diary of Ming Sul, age MYOB
Been a couple of days since I last wrote in here. Since then, we've moved on from Japan, and Tikhik's promise that we'd end up in a very cold place at some point has held true. We think it's Siberia, but a fact I've learned quickly is that we're never sure where we are unless some "Nice Person" tells us - or at least Tikhik's not, and that extends to the rest of us, in practice.
Even with the absolute, bone-chilling cold of the place though - and it doesn't matter what you do, you're ALWAYS cold - one thing it's got going for it is the view. It's so absolutely barren, it's spectacular (it wouldn't be for long if you were stuck here, I guess, but for a couple of days - Wow).
So, yesterday was pretty simple in theory, a pain in the butt in practice. When we arrived, me and Tom set up the tent, Tikhik and Nori went inside, then me & Tom got to bury it under a thick layer of snow to keep it warm. Joy. After we were done and Tik let us in with one of his gates (since we had to bury the entrance too), I was only good for letting off ZZZs.
Then, this morning when I woke up, Tik was already awake - which reminds me, I need to have a word with Tom on how much Tik sleeps. I think I've only seen him sleep once since I met him, and that was between the big jump from Hong Kong to Tokyo and then making him teleport us round the city for somewhere to stay. At most, he goes to sleep after me, and wakes up earlier, and I'm a light sleeper & an early riser (unlike Tom...), so, although I can't really speak for snow-shovelling day, he can't be sleeping much, and that can't be good.
Anyway, Tik was already awake, so I got him to let me out (once I'd suited up against the cold even more...) and went out to have a look at the view and wake myself up properly. Once I got back (with, I swear, iced sweat on my forehead! Honestly), I saw what he'd been doing - trying to get Nori to eat some soup, and not doing very well.
Ever since he found her the way he did, he's been... well, not obsessed, since that sounds creepy, but it's like he's trying to be her dad or something. I think he might be transferring all his I-want-to-save-the-captives energy to her until we get to a place he can. Maybe I don't understand him as well as I think, but I think he's got a huge saviour-complex. He can't save himself from being a bug, so he has to save everyone else instead...
As for Nori herself, she's like a different person from the hyper-screwball she was in Japan. There, of course, she had electricity up the yin-yang, but here, there's nothing or near-enough. So, where there she was mad (her brain was fried or something from all the electricity running through her), here she can barely lift her head, and she's sleeping like 23 hours a day. We've managed to get more than the tiny bit of sense we got out of her here that said, because of it. At least she's coherent right now for the time she's awake.
Apparently, she really was homeless when Tik found her, like he thought. Her dad kicked her out when her powers emerged - which, besides how unfair it was, was a double blow since she usually can't think straight, since when there's mains electricity about, it goes to her head and scrambles her brains. She says she literally doesn't know how she's survived all the time on the streets, since she can't remember much of it, but the reason she speaks English so well is because her father demanded it and brought in tutors when she was a young kid to make sure her and her younger brother, Keitaro (I'm guessing the spelling) did. He sounds like a real bastard.
Guess I did get lucky - all I get is the odd broken glass when I forget my own strength. Tik & Nori got it rough with their powers, and saviour-complex or no, Tik's right when he says we're going to have to see if we can help her when we hit civilisation again.
No Great Insights on Tom - he's the same Tom, heart-on-sleeve and all. I'm not even sure there ARE any Great Insights to be had on him - which isn't to say he's shallow, more that he's so honest he can't hide anything to become a Great Insight later.
Anyway, the rest of the day was boring as hell. Tik looked worried over Nori while she was sleeping, Tom slept quite a bit, we couldn't really go out in the cold, so we just sat, talked a bit, I read a bit (Tom couldn't, since we can't use the torches with Nori around, since the batteries go flat in less than a minute), and I'm catching up on this.
Hopefully, we'll be moving on tomorrow, and it should be a bit warmer - it can't get any colder anyway. Fingers crossed!
[ January 26, 2006, 06:45 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Somebody on :
One Week Ago...
"I can see his nose!" Mick exclaimed while staring at the Ultrasound scan.
"Behave Mick," Laura slapped her husband's hand down as his overexcitement threatened to have him take to the air, wiggling slightly at the cold jelly on her stomach. _______________
One Year Ago...
"Insect Queen... Behind you!"
Laura turned straight into a kiss from her new boyfriend. Mick was the town's resident hero - not that a small town like San Drew really needed a superhero - even big cities like New York and Metropolis didn't have any super-... well, anything, making the news yet, but the mayor still dubbed Foreman the Town's Official Hero, he was an official Deputy in the sheriff's office, and he flew overhead regularly on the lookout for what little crime there was.
And now she regularly joined him in flight. The serum's effect on her had been undeniable. The most important thing her new body had given her wasn't the looks, it was the confidence that came with them. Before, she'd always hidden at the back of the class, in the corner of a room, alone in her bedroom. No more - now she'd given herself the confidence to Stand Up And Be Counted, and the little mishap with her turning into Were-Bugs could be shrugged off just the same, once Mick had saved her. Now she was in control of her powers and her life, and she was in love. What more could she want?
She giggled and chased after Mick, her wings making a deep buzzing sound as she flew at top speed. _______________
Eight Months Ago...
"I now pronounce you Man and Wife. You may kiss the Bride."
He spent a second looking the new Mrs. Laura Russell straight in the eyes before pulling her tight in a deep, passionate kiss, to which she eagerly responded. The clapping and cheering from their relatives didn't even register.
He remembered their first kiss like this, when she had been the one to grab him. It was when the STAR Labs technicians, who had tested him after he'd first gained his powers, said they'd found a way to stabilise her, with a ring that pulsed on a frequency that kept her form stable the way she willed it. It had been such a surprise - first that she'd kissed him at all, and then when he found out how he'd been her crush for years and years, but she'd been too shy to tell him. Obviously, that had changed.
As the kiss progressed, he phased into remembering his own "origin," when he'd been jogging just outside town when he saw a meteor land just over a ridge. Entranced, he touched the glowing object... and woke up the next afternoon in a STAR Labs facility. They'd tested him thoroughly for powers - unbeknownst to him at the time, they were testing him for psi-powers as part of a massive program they were participating in with two deep-black government agencies¹, and were disappointed at his lack of mind-manipulation powers, as he'd found when looking for information on other fragments of the meteor that might have empowered others. What he did get were super-strength and flight, his two fantasy powers, which he used to become Foreman, hero of San Drew. But the confidence was an act, until she kissed him and said she loved him.
The kiss broke only when they started to run out of oxygen. The night was even more special. _______________
Four Months Ago...
"Well? Come on, come on..."
"Wait just a minute Mick."
"Well?"
She sighed. Sometimes, he was so enthusiastic he came across like a little boy. It was one of the things she loved about him. "It's changing..."
"Well?"
"Yes it is, it's changing."
"Well? Come on, come on..."
She looked up, stony faced. His own face fell, and on seeing that she couldn't contain her smile any longer. "You're going to be a daddy."
Some reports later suggested his cry of delight could be heard from the moon. This is of course arrant nonsense - there's no air on the moon. _______________
Now...
He clasped her hand tightly as she strained and the head started to poke out, whispering words of encouragement to her as she finally came to an end of the marathon labour. Once the baby was out, the midwife took care of the placenta and handed the exhausted Laura her baby boy, wrapped in a white towel. Mick bent down to look at his newborn son, whispering the name they'd chosen to him. "Welcome to the world, Christopher Charles Russell."
Both proud parents smiled. A couple of weeks before, they'd heard of the forming of a Legion of Super-Heroes. If it had come a year earlier, both would have considered going for membership. But now, they were happy where they were, in San Drew, with each other, and their new son.
Footnotes:
¹ - Cadmus and Checkmate. STAR were looking for additional recruits for the program that begat Tela.
[ February 03, 2006, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: Somebody ]
Posted by Reboot on :
The private jet came in to land perfectly on the runway at Workforce HQ.
"Nice jet," Polarity called as his brother stepped off.
"Brande leant me it, along with his pilot for the day," Cosmic Boy replied.
"Hope you thanked him."
Cos sighed. "'f course. Ready?"
"As I'll ever be...," hoisting his bag over his shoulder, Polarity stepped aboard the plane for his flight home. Getting time off for this had been a nightmare, and there was no-one to see him off as the plane left the runway empty once more. _________________________
"So, when'd it happen?"
"They're not sure exactly. They found her around 7am, and think she'd been lying there for two or three hours."
"Geez..." _________________________
Three Hours Earlier:
"Cos, wait..."
Walking across the helipad, ready for his trip to the airport, he turned to see the three Trinities rushing towards him.
"Lorna?"
"You didn't think we'd let you sneak away without making sure you're okay, did you? Losing a gran isn't something we'd wish on anyone." "We just wanted you to know we're thinking of you." "And if you need someone to come with you, as a friend..."
"Lorna," He took Trinity-Neutral's hands in his, "the best thing you can do for me right now, as a friend, is to get yourself sorted out. Go and see Irma. Deal with your lost fortnight. Please." _________________________
Four Hours Earlier:
Spark saw Paul get the call in the rec room. She couldn't hear what was said, but she could see from Paul's face that whatever it was it was Bad News. As soon as he walked across, shoulders slumped, she rushed to see what was wrong.
"Paul, what..."
Briefly, he remembered he technically wasn't talking to her over her reaction to his relationship with Enrapture, but Meta wasn't around - and wasn't exactly a shoulder to cry on anyway - and he needed to talk to someone. "It's my gran... t-they think she's had a stroke."
Ella instinctively threw her arms around Paul, comforting him for a minute before pulling out to have her hands on his shoulders. "How - when...?"
"I don't know, I think Rex mentioned the details, but I-I didn't catch them properly. He's going to call back when he's made travel arrangements if he can."
"Do you want me to come with you to see McCauley?"
"W..." Polarity was cut of in mid-sentence by a cough from Enrapture as she entered the room, and Spark noticed an instant change in his demeanour, as he stopped trembling.
"Hi Meta," he sad, kissing her on both cheeks. Listen, I can't see you tonight, my gran's been taken ill and I'll need to go and see her. Sorry..."
"Don't worry about it Paul, I'm sure there will be other times. You go and see your gran, okay?" Her tone struck Ella as being like nothing more than patting an obedient pet, as Paul left the room without taking any further notice of her.
After he left, Ella walked towards Meta, who didn't flinch in the slightest at the shorter girl approaching her. "Can I help you, Eileen?"
"I want to know where you get off playing with Paul's mind. I didn't think people like you really existed until I met you."
"'People like me'? How interesting. If you're that jealous, perhaps you shouldn't have said you weren't interested."
"My exact words were 'I don't think of you that way.' And I don't, I think of him like a brother. And, it might be news to you, but you don't bone your brother."
"Really? I thought where you came from it happened all the time."
In the corner, Andromeda tensed, ready to intervene if things got any worse, with sparks flying from Ella's eyes as it was, but Ella controlled herself enough to say, "If I see one sign from now on that you've played with his mind in any way, or you do anything to hurt him, you'll be on the receiving end of enough electricity to light up New York for a year. Understand?"
"Completely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be out of here in half an hour and there was something I wanted to do." Meta calmly pushed Ella out the way, walked over to a computer terminal and sat down, while Ella seethed where she stood. _________________________
As Paul and Rex approached the hospital room, neither quite knew what to expect. At the door, Paul made an "after you" gesture to his big brother, and reluctantly followed him in.
"R-R-R-Re-x-x-x-x! P-P-P-au-l-l-l-l-l!"
Their gran was sitting up in bed, a bandage over a significant cut on her head from where she'd fallen, but she didn't look too bad all things considered. Her new, terrible, juddering stutter, however, meant Paul struggled to hide his wince. Their dad, at her bedside as they arrived, shot a "don't mention it" glance at him.
In the meantime, Rex was speaking, asking her how she was, and she replied in the same juddering voice, making her impossible to understand.
Paul sat there, not quite silent but not saying much, for half an hour in extreme discomfort. When he eventually excused himself to go to the toilet, Rex followed after a couple of minutes and found him sitting on a toilet seat, crying in an open cubicle. He crouched down in front of him, forced a smile and clasped his shoulder in reassurance, but a few tears ran down his face too.
Posted by Reboot on :
Igor Kuria was the easygoing type. Being the child of a Russian woman and Kenyan man who had grown up in Canada made him unusual already. Wasn't all that made him unusual though.
A tall guy and pale-skinned Asian woman came into his repair shop together one day, one with a Aussie accent and one with an accent he couldn't place but wasn't Canadian. More unusual.
"Hi," said the woman, "we were told to come here if we needed, ummm... 'unusual tech.'"
"'Pends what you mean by 'unusual'. I had one woman come in the other day asking for a v'brator with six hundred settings and option for extensions. Not the sort of thing I do, but I do do stuff other folks can't. What is it?"
"It's for a friend of ours," replied the guy, "she needs help, and..."
"Whoa - not a doctor friend."
"She's not ill - well, not in the conventional medical sense anyway, so a hospital couldn't help her, and she's tried enough times."
"It's hard to explain," continued the woman, "could you some and see at least? We'll pay you for the time even if you can't do anything."
Igor was tempted. Mostly out of curiosity, true, but still... "Sorry, don't do house calls. If your friend would come here, then maybe..."
"She can't. That's part of the problem. If..."
They saw his face, looked at each other, shrugged, and the woman leaped over his head while the guy pointed at him and pinned him to the ground. In return, Igor pointed at the guy's ankles, and a trail of green technology spurted from his finger, wrapped around the guy's ankle and pulled him down, freeing himself.
"We" the woman was making him dizzy "-didn't-" with the way she was jumping around him "-come-", keeping out of his reach "-here-" after she saw "-to-" what had happened to the guy "-fight!" who came with her.
"Doing a good impression of it sister, since you went for me first. So if you would stop hopping like a cricket, I'd be much obliged."
She stopped and looked at him cautiously. "What we said was true. Our friend needs help - her powers are killing her. She needs something to stop her absorbing electricity out of the air and overloading herself, and that's why we came to you for help. We didn't know you were superhuman yourself or we'd have explained earlier."
"Okay, okay, I'll come."
"Thanks. I'm Sul, by the way, and this is Tom."
"Name's Igor, but my friends call me the iGod."
Tom and Sul blinked at him, clearly trying not to laugh.
He noticed their response. "Ah, go ahead. Doesn't work on them either"
They sniggered. ___________________________________________
As they knocked and were let in to the locked and empty warehouse they were staying in by one of Tikhik's portals, they saw he was standing protectively over Nori, who was twitching uncontrollably.
"She's getting worse," he said as they walked over to him, "after being uncharged for days, suddenly being in the middle of power lines was too much for her, and she's already too overloaded to safely discharge." Suddenly, he registered Igor. "So who's this you've brought anyway?"
In response, Igor let out a stream of Russian words neither Sul nor Tom understood. Seeing their surprised looks, he said "C'mon - the name's Igor. Mom would never have forgiven me if I hadn't learned the mother tongue."
"You just said you'd 'had a large amount of me'," Tikhik groused. "Now shut up and help her."
Igor let it go and his arm suddenly shifted into a mass of green machinery. Tikhik blinked.
"I'll explain later," Igor's smile was gone now, and he was focused on his task. The other two had explained Noriko's problem on the way over - she absorbed electricity from nearby things; electrical appliances, power lines, you name it; and couldn't control it. And when she got overloaded, she started talking too fast, and then she thought so fast she became incoherent, then she ended up like this. And the only significant way of getting rid of it were massive blasts which weren't really an option.
Gingerly, very carefully, he extended a tendril from the midst of his disassembled arm. This was going to be tricky to do without overloading himself, and he mentally created resistors, transformers and circuit-breakers along the length of the tendril, bulking it up, to protect himself from the surge that came as he made contact.
The pain was worse than he'd expected, given his precautions, but it was bearable and he could tell that he could take it safely for a while. Now came the first of the tricky parts, as he extended the tendril around her neck until it joined up with itself and pulled it tight. Somewhere on the periphery of his consciousness he heard Gates shout something, but it didn't really register as he extended mini-tendrils from the main one into her skin, concentrating on avoiding nerves and significant blood vessels on his way to her brain.
Gradually, the longer it went on, and the deeper he got, the more he could filter out the signals from the electrical storm assailing his senses, until he could feel her mind brushing against his. He shouted her name into the maelstrom, trying to get her attention, unconsciously speeding up his perceptions to match her own. He tried again, and was rewarded with a whisper, almost indistinguishable in the storm, and he chased for the source. Then he saw her, or a representation of her, curled in a foetal position and barely aware of what was going on in the storm.
Reaching her, his avatar touched the shoulder of hers, and she turned to look at him. Her first words were confusion - who was he, how was he here.
"My name's Igor," he said gently. "Your friends looked me up to help you, and that's what I'm trying to do."
"Can you... take this away. Let me think clearly?" Her avatar shifted slightly as she said this. It had matched her real-life self, with lank grey hair, but her hair now shifted to an electric-blue bob.
"Sort of." He spent a moment feeling for his other tendrils, and confirming what he'd thought. "I can calm this down temporarily - I'll leave you with a collar like this" a green circlet, covered in rough circuitry, appeared in his hand, "linked into your brain, it'll fool your body into keeping you at a safe level, instead of the overcharge/undercharge mess you have just now. But it won't last forever - in two-three months, it'll be burnt out with the voltage you channel."
"What then?" Her oversized purple poloneck shirt had faded to a tight white crop-top as she got excited, but the poloneck began to reappear as he told her it was only temporary.
"Up to you. I can feel it - you can control your powers Nori, you just never had the chance to learn how with the way they turned up. I'm giving you that chance. Whether you take it is up to you..."
Her face looked confused for a moment, then determined.
"One more thing. I've leeched enough electricty off you for you to wake up now. When you do, there's a pole in front of you. Grab it and force all the electrity you can through it. You'll probably conk out afterward, but when you wake up, you should be clear-headed enough to say thanks."
He severed the tendril, woke up and fell back. He wanted to lie down, but it wasn't safe and he got up and motioned the others away while he ran, as Nori woke up, grabbed the pole as he'd told her, and discharged into it in a blinding flash. Once the flash was over, he saw her collapsed on the ground and motioned the others to go back now. The pole itself was melted almost to slag, but the electric field around Nori herself appeared to have protected her...
[ February 22, 2006, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Nori woke up, and the first thing she did was pick at her collar. She knew she needed it, and was grateful for the chance to think clearly for the first time in... and she couldn't believe this... three years, but she had an itch she couldn't scratch all the way around her neck.
"How yo feelin'?"
She turned to look at Igor, "Stop faking that stupid accent."
"Hey, I..."
"You didn't in my head, you were being honest there, you're faking it here."
"But..."
"Enough. We're not tourists and this isn't one of your acting classes cueball."
"How..." Igor looked completely flabbergasted.
Nori just shrugged. "You were in my head. You must have left some info behind. Thanks for the fix, by the way."
At that moment Sul stuck her head round the corner and said, "Ah, you're up & about. Tik wants a word if you've got a minute."
Nori shrugged "Sure" and was gone from Igor's sight between eyeblinks, leaving him confused. _________________
"You were asking about me?"
Tikhik jumped as he heard the voice behind him, as if from nowhere, and turned to see Nori grinning at his reaction, putting any and all thoughts momentarily out of his head. _________________
"So what's your story?" Sul asked Igor, breaking him out his trance.
"Grandparents on my dad's side were Kenyan, but they emigrated to Canada when they were in my twenties with my dad. When my dad grew up, he met my mom, who was a, well, defector not to put too fine a point on it, from the old Soviet U and they got married and had me. When I was five, I tripped and fell - nothing unusual, except that instead of forming a scab it got covered in this green machinery, which got covered over with skin and everything was alright. Except I could feel it, stuff shifting inside of me - never told them though. Then, three years ago, they both died in a car crash. Been on my own since." _________________
Nori knelt down opposite Tikhik, leaning back against her heels, while he got his head in order.
"So, how are you?" he finally asked.
"Weird - I mean, I feel weird. This collar-thing's itchy & just having my head clear & working at its proper speed after all this time, its, well," she spent a moment searching for an alternative word, then just shrugged and finished, "weird!"
"How much do you remember?"
"Not much. The occasional thing here and there, but 99% of the past three years is just gone. I do remember an impromptu skydiving lesson though, and you spending what seemed like a whole day trying to get me to eat soup while I was frozen and wiped."
"You looked hungry," Tik shrugged.
Unconsciously, Nori tilted her head slightly to the side slightly on hearing the way he said it, but what she said was "Whether I was or wasn't then, I'm starving now. I don't think I've eaten actual food in the last three years, so..."
"Go and have a word with Tom then - he's over there - since he's the one who normally heats food up for us. Just don't eat too quickly if you've not..."
"Ta..." and Nori was gone.
"You can't said much for someone who's spent the last week panicking about her." Sul's voice caused Tikhik to jump just as he was about to settle into one of his "brooding periods", as she'd taken to calling them.
"She's alright, and that's the important thing," Tikhik said, before adding, "Were you listening to us? I thought you were talking with Igor..."
"He was just telling me his family history, nothing that can't wait, and I wasn't too bothered about hearing it; so when I heard that crackle she makes when she's running so quick, I came to see whether you'd really fallen out within five minutes of actually meeting her."
"She was hungry, and I sent her over to Tom to have some food."
"Ah-hah. Right."
Tik just shook his head... _______________________
The next day, Tom woke up late as usual, and looked around the warehouse. While the only windows were at roof level, they lit the warehouse up fine, and it looked like there was no-one around at first, until he eventually saw Tikhik on a gantry up near the roof, looking out through the windows.
While the steel platform itself looked solid enough, Tom didn't trust the slimy, rotted stairs that led up to it, and expected that Tik hadn't either, so he walked over to just below the gantry and concentrated. He'd been working on levitating without the wild tumbling that had characterised his earlier attempts, and had just about got to the point where he managed to keep the centre of gravity low enough to prevent that without risking pulling his feet off his legs, but this was higher than he'd tried before and he was nervous all the way up, until he managed to grab the edge of the gantry and pull himself onto it.
Tik didn't seem to notice his arrival, but Tom knew from experience how faraway his mind could get when he was staring out like this, and shook his shoulder to get his attention. "This what you do when there's no sea around?" he asked.
"I'm fine Tom, just thinking..."
"I guessed. Where is everyone?"
"Sul and Nori found some Japanese banknotes in one of Nori's pockets, and went to see if they could exchange it for local money, then get some new clothes for Nori which fit her. Igor just went home last night after you went to sleep."
"I thought he was interested in coming with us?"
"From what I saw, he was more interested in Sul. Apparently, she's still coming with us though, and he may or may not come back to go with us as well, and if he does, I suppose he would have to be at least somewhat interested in what we're trying to do."
"Right. So when are you planning to eat something?
"I..."
"Don't give me that Tik, I know you too well. For the past few days, you've been teleporting big chunks of food away when you think no-one's looking. Specifically, what is it? McCauley, Nori, nerves, what?"
Tikhik looked at his best friend, "All of those in their way, but mostly I was just thinking again, looking down there at this town - I'll never be able to do that again, ever. I can't go home - my parents would never believe it was me, and even if they did, how fair would it be to them?"
"Tik, I'm sure..."
"No, they'd be like Nori's parents. I never quite fit in - that's why I went on that trip to the US, to try and fit with my classmates. And now they're dead, and I'm like this. And how many others did McCauley kill, maim or mutate? I saw someone turned into a misshapen monster with two front legs and a huge tail. I saw someone locked in a spacesuit because they couldn't breathe normal air. I saw, I sau,..." his voice cut out. It didn't tail off, it just stopped halfway into the last syllable.
Tom put his hand on Tik's shoulder. "Deep breaths, come on. I know it was horrible, and I know we can't put right what he did wrong, but we can stop him doing any more. We WILL stop him."
Tikhik's voice finally broke back through, in the form of a loud sob. "Yes," he finally forced out, "we will." ________________
"Slow DOWN!"
Ming Sul could outpace any Olympic athlete over any distance. As she shouted, she was running at 30 mph and had been constantly for almost ten minutes.
Noriko Ashida was leaving her trailing.
"NORI! Slow..."
"...down?" Suddenly, Nori was running alongside her, backwards, small bolts of electricity bouncing from her bare arms to her exposed torso and back again, easily matching her for speed despite jogging backwards. She had a wide grin on her face.
"Okay," Sul panted slightly as she slowed, Nori slowing with her, "okay..."
"Sorry," Nori's grin dropped as they slowed and she saw how flushed Sul was.
"S'okay," Sul gave herself a minute, and pushed her long black hair, matted with sweat, out of her face before continuing, "just the first time I've ever been outrun, ever. How fast were you going?"
"I don't know - it's the first time I've ever been able to stretch my legs like that - ever. Felt good, especially being able to feel the wind on my skin without all that stuff weighing me down."
Indeed, Nori was barely recognisable as the girl Tikhik had rescued from the gang a week earlier. Besides the fact that she was clean, her too-big poloneck and skirt had been replaced by a white croptop, slightly baggy jeans and white trainers. The single biggest change, though, was in her hair. Her lank grey hair, which had obscured her face, was gone, replaced with a short bob. Dyed electric blue - as she'd said to Sul when picking it, how could she resist? She also wore a rucksack with some extra clothes, including a jacket and underwear, within - her old clothes having been dropped off at a charity shop, on the offchance someone would want them.
Sul had recovered her composure by this stage and looked around the chilly country road. "We'd better be getting back - it's starting to get dark."
"Fine..." Nori sped off, before running back and saying "Come on," and starting off again at a slightly more sedate pace.
Sul just shook her head and started running. __________________
They arrived back at the warehouse just as the sun was beginning to disappear and the western sky was a dusky blue, and on knocking hard the way they'd arranged, a green portal appeared to let them in.
Of the three, Tom was the first to notice Nori's new look as Tik and Igor talked. Not that he actually said anything, more that he boggled at the difference.
Igor, when he looked, was less shocked as it resembled the look her avatar had had as it got more optimistic, but still muttered something about the degree of change. Tikhik just said, "Nice haircut," and left it at that before announcing that they were leaving the next day and Igor was going with them. And that, with luck, they would be in range to teleport within the day when they landed, and they needed a plan. Sul, exhausted, slumped down beside them as they talked. Nori wasn't sure how she should take the responses as she sat down too.
Posted by Reboot on :
Micro shifted against the squishy thing to his left. This wasn't going to be pleasant. He proceeded to close his eyes as he saw the huge three-pronged metal implement head towards him and scoop him up. As soon as he felt the damp warmth close around him and the shifting of the soft ground, he grew.
In moments, prisoner M11811W194's head was scattered around the walls of his cell in 3003 seperate solid pieces, to count nothing of the innumerable blood splashes and leaks accompanying it as his heart continued to pump for several moments, blood gushing out of the gaping wound that was his neck, small amounts leaking down his windpipe and foodpipe as it did so.
"Justice is served, huh?" Micro mused aloud as he, enclosed from head-to-toe in a black drysuit with blood-splattered one-way mirrored mask, jumped to the window, grabbed the bars, and shrunk down to minisule size, before growing for the descent into the black hole which appeared in mid-air. ___________________
Mano looked at the camera. This was going perfectly, damn it. All the information they'd been given suggested that the group who had shot Ultraboy was small, a close-knit group of ten to fifteen people, although they were well organised and made free use of the "Second Amendment."
The member who'd actually shot Ultraboy had already been assassinated by Micro, who was in the home of another member now, waiting for a chance to hitch a ride on him, unnoticed, to allow them to track the meeting place. Intel suggested a meeting was due tonight, triggered by the gunman's death ironically enough, suggesting that their sense of self-preservation was on the blink.
It would be one to remember. ___________________
Micro reported in. They were all there, little ducks in a row.
Wolf checked his claws.
Tellus sighed audibly.
Mano just stared straight ahead.
The three rushed out their van, and Mano vapourised the door of the ordinary-looking domestic residence.
"Good evening gentleman."
Every single man in the room went for his gun - only to inexplicably drop it on the floor in response to a pulse from the nodules on Tellus' back. Micro grew and went to join the others.
Mano continued, "recently, you tried to send a signal to Leonard McCauley. Mr. McCauley doesn't take "signals" very happily, so he's asked us to RSVP to you in person. I am truly sorry about this, but I have no choice."
Mano began the rout immediately, grabbing someone with his left hand of Pain, and crushing his throat one-handed as the man tried to scream.
Micro was more creative. He shrunk down so he could walk into the pores of someone's leg. He then expanded his arm, shattering his limb. He then repeated the procedure with the man's other four limbs... and then left him to bleed to death.
Tellus crushed another's skull with his club-like tail and used his telepathy to give another man a fatal aneurysm,
Wolf slashed another in half, crotch to sternum, his claws rending both flesh and bone easily, leaving only his head and upper neck intact as the man screamed in his last moments.
Mano continued, using his Right Hand of Destruction to clear the path to someone's heart, then ripped it out with his left hand and held it in front of the man for the thirty seconds it took for the light to fade from his eyes, as the beating slowed and stopped.
Wolf and Tellus double-teamed someone else, Wolf sundering his legs from his body before Tellus caved his chest in with his tail.
And so it continued, until all that was left of the group was a pile of corpses, several in bits or with holes in them, lying on the floor, blood staining the carpet and floorboards beneath. ____________________
The four walked calmly out to the van and drove off afterward, to a pre-determined safehouse. They wouldn't make contact with the outside world for at least a week to prevent directly linking the massacre to McCauley. Each had their own thoughts in the matter - Mano had no particular sympathy for their cause, but hated to do anything at McCauley's pleasure. Wolf, now the red mist was fading, was troubled. Tellus closed his eyes and slept, and Micro listened to techno-rap.
A successful mission.
Posted by Reboot on :
Endgame, T-1 day
Andromeda lay curled in her bed. She'd heat-visioned the door to seal it - probably a mistake, but the least of her worries right now, with the dry red stain still on her gloves. Blood still on her hands.
The day replayed itself in her head yet again. It had started innocuosly enough - Polarity was away visiting his sick gran, and had been due back later in the day, so there had been only six at breakfast, which went quietly. She'd been paired with Enrapture for the day, and had made a note to ask her at some point about the current situation - her and Spark fighting wouldn't help anything, but it wasn't something she'd got round to.
It was at the third and longest call of the day It had happened.
There were no photographers or anything of the sort, amazingly enough. It was an arms manufacturing depot which had called them in for half a day, to get her to scan for spy-devices and Enrapture to scan for infiltrators, having suspected something was going on.
An hour in, she'd heard an odd buzz in the background and had investigated, tracking it down to the middle of a crowded area. After prompting Enrapture to scan the area, someone had recoiled momentarily from the probe, then suddenly moved at a speed only Andromeda could follow, shifting his arms into guns. At that moment she'd seen it - a silver necklace, with a Triangle-shaped pendant glistening white in the light. The gunman had moved toward Enrapture, displaying his immunity to her telepathy now he was ready for it. He'd raised his "arm" - then his head had blown into a million fragments. At the end of Andromeda's fist.
Shocked at what she'd done, she'd frozen while Enrapture took charge of the scene, scanning for others. Andromeda then excused herself, calling HQ to pull Dragonmage off his PR stunt and send him in as a backup before taking off, flying high. She'd had the power to stop the guy, she'd killed him. And, and...
Even as she arrived back, however, they already had the news that they greeted her with - there wouldn't be any charges, the local PD had "understood" the need for the force used in the light of an apparent terrorist attack. "In a post-9/11 world", they "understood" that you couldn't be too careful when dealing with terrorists, especially super-powered ones.
If they understood it, perhaps they could explain it to Andromeda.
[ March 01, 2006, 05:53 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Endgame, T-12 hours
Trinity stood at her window, watching the pouring rain, the three of her brooding silently, thinking about what Cos and Shifter had said.
Her talk with Shifter had pointed out to her the inconsistancy in her refusal to get help, that she couldn't explain, and Cos' plea for her to get help even as he was going off to see his gran's possible death weighed on her. She felt trapped in an ever-tightening box, and wanted out.
She envied the Legionnaires who could fly. New York city streets weren't equipped for going for a proper walk, the canyons formed by the skyscrapers combining with the sheer mass of people to ensure she, after growing up in a small town, just couldn't lose herself in a walk. But flying... she'd only done it once, before the flight rings were confiscated, but even then, in formation with the other Legionnaires...
She remerged, turned and headed down the corridor, intending to pay someone a visit... _________________________
"What flight rings? Remember - they were all taken."
"Lyle, if you and your boyfriend didn't secretly make a hundred new rings to replace the confiscated ones, I want to know who you are and what you've done with Invisible Kid."
Lyle blushed slightly at the reference to Catalyst as his "boyfriend," but not at her expectation. His silence told Trinity all she needed to know.
"Where?"
"Lorna, they're for emergencies. I've not been going off flying every five minutes - and I've wanted to often enough." He saw her face and knew what it meant. "I can only give you one anyway - we didn't make anything like a hundred."
"One'll be enough. Thanks, Lyle." __________________________
Soaring through the air, rain lashing across her face, Trinity was free. Only, she wasn't. Even there, in mid air, she still feel the weight of her problems pulling her down to Earth.
"Well, what did you expect?" Purple's nagging voice, denied physical expression by the danger of splitting in mid air, cut through her reverie, "that we'd get into the air and all our troubles would just suddenly *be* so far away?" Instantly, her other selves started to argue with Purple, and her head threatened to explode. She couldn't split to relieve it, and she could barely keep aloft through the internal conflict.
Floating in mid-air, her tears added to the rain on her cheeks. __________________________
Irma was sitting with Garth on her couch, arms around each other, when she heard a knock at her door.
Disentangling herself, she walked over and opened the door to see Trinity standing there like a drowned rat.
"Help."
Posted by Reboot on :
Endgame, T-5 hours
McCauley sat in his chair in the early morning light, reading Enrapture's report on the incident at the arms factory the previous day. Clearly the right choice had been made, and there was nothing worth worrying about. He leaned back in his chair. Apart from the annoying matter of the "statue" in his garden having vanished the previous week, presumed stolen - which while very annoying after the trouble he'd gone to to get hold of it, wasn't a major problem of the order the insect could have caused, and he expected that it would be retrieved shortly - everything was going smoothly... ______________________________
Endgame, T-4 hours
"I'll ****ing kill him!"
For even Trinity-Purple to use such language was rare. For Trinity-Orange it was absolutely unprecedented.
But while Leviathan's giant hand was holding the three Trinities down until they'd calmed enough to function, their anger wasn't directed at him. And one glance and the countermances of the others looking on showed that, even if they weren't ranting, they shared their teammate's anger at her violation.
Someone would pay. ________________
Earlier, Lorna had finally broken down and asked for help from Irma, after a month since her return from her mysterious disappearance.
For Tela, finding something big hadn't been unexpected. But what she found was. She wondered how to break it to Trinity, but as she was in Trinity's mind, her unease - though not the specific cause - was communicated to Lorna herself.
"What is it?" Lorna asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.
Irma choked. She had to tell her. "Remember how I said everyone has psi-shields to some extent, and I said yours were especially strong and we worked on making them stronger still?"
Trinity nodded.
"Well, since we did that, someone's put a...," she struggled to find the word, "a 'door' in your shield. Any telepath who knew about it could get into your mind without any effort and..." again she paused, this time simply to collect herself. This was disgusting... "alter your mind without effort in any way they wanted to. They could make you do anything, forget anything, make fake memories, alter your personality.... To whoever did this you wouldn't be a person, just a..."
She stopped, overwhelmed by the mix of fear, panic and rage coming from Trinity, who split trying to make sense of it all. Purple asked who, Neutral asked if whatever damage had been done could be undone. Orange said nothing.
"I don't know yet. Once you remerge, I'm going to put you to sleep and see what I can do - I should be able to undo the damage." I hope, she didn't add aloud. ______________________________
Endgame, T-2 hours
Tikhik was the first to emerge from his own portal, naturally enough, but Tom, Nori, Sul and Igor weren't far behind, and they stood for a minute, looking over the famed Metropolis skyline from the southern slope of Mount McCauley, of all places (formerly Mt. Apricot). Tikhik knew he was almost there now, and they went down into the city to kill a few hours while they planned. ______________________________
Endgame, T-30 minutes
Andromeda lay in bed after a sleepless night. She hadn't changed her clothes, and so still wore the bloodstained costume from the previous day when she heard a crackling at the door, and saw a white flash melting her weld from the previous day. She lay back as the weld was broken and Spark opened the door.
"Laurel?"
Andromeda didn't show any sign she'd heard.
"Earth to Andromeda..." Spark looked very worried at seeing her lying back, eyes open, Andromeda thought. Pity she was wasting concern on her.
Ella paused for a moment, then looked Andromeda straight in the eyes. She wasn't breathing, but she knew that didn't mean anything with Laurel, given how long she could hold her breath for.
"LAUREL!" She yelled straight in Andromeda's ear, while letting off a huge flash right in front of Andromeda's face. Even Andromeda couldn't remain impassive at that combination, and yelped, rolling off the bed away from Spark.
"Laurel, are you okay?"
"If we say I'm not, hypothetically, would you say a bright flash in front of my face and someone shouting in my ear when I've got super-sensitive sight & hearing would help?"
"You scared me."
"Maybe I scare myself... look!" she thrust her bloodstained gloves at Spark.
Spark paused, trying to think for a moment on how to react to Andromeda's hyperemotional state. "Laurel, it's done. For better or worse, it's done," she said firmly, "If you can't deal with it, maybe you should try and get help, or ask if you can take a break. C'mon, I'm here to take you down anyway, since Paul's just got back and McCauley wants to see us all, so you can ask him there. Go and get a fresh uniform and I'll wait while you get washed."
Laurel allowed herself to be steered towards the shower at that, while Spark called McCauley to explain the delay. ________________
"WHAT!?" McCauley sounded utterly shocked at the concept of an unscheduled request for time off - and immediate time-off at that - with the added audacity of him being interrupted having already been delayed by the requestee, "Out of the question, I have clients expecting you specifically for the next fortnight. Now, if I may continue.."
"Please, I can't continue like this for now. I need a break," Andromeda's voice was becoming uncharacteristically raised.
McCauley didn't read the signs. "No."
"Please,..." She was outright pleading now.
"No."
Laurel swallowed. Hard. "I need to do this. I'd rather go with your permission, but if I must, I'll go without and quit."
"You can't. You signed a contract saying you would obey my orders for its' duration, and I'm ordering you to land and to remain within this building until I say otherwise."
Andromeda floated down, straining against herself. But she was not about to drop it. "Let me go!"
"No."
"Let me GO!" she shrieked
"Drop it Laurel," Spark muttered too quietly for anyone else to hear. She was regretting having brought up the idea now, and was worried about what was going to happen to Andromeda if this kept up.
"No."
"LET ME GO!"
"No."
"LET ME GO!"
"No. Now obey me and be quie..." McCauley stopped suddenly. Andromeda had fallen forward, her head, elbows and knees on the ground, screaming.
quote:Laurel Gander had been flying for hours. She didn't want to go through officialdom to get to the Legion - that would be begging for a rejection and for someone to try and send her back to the orphanage (heh, like they could), but she didn't know where they were, and even with her speed and sight, she needed some idea of where to look to find them. The announcement hadn't said where their first mission was, only that they were "setting out." She had time though - at this height and speed, no-one could see her, and it wasn't as if she actually needed food anyway.
*ugh*
She'd been so focused on scanning the horizon, she hadn't noticed the van beneath, and she'd been hit. Disorientated, she'd fallen halfway to the ground before she recovered and levelled off. Eyes glowing red, she looked around for what had hit her, when another ruby pulse from the laser cannon hit her. She barely managed to recover from that one, but as she did and saw the van, a third pulse hit her skull, and she fell, already unconscious by the time she landed with a "thump."
quote:Laurel woke up and felt the bonds around her wrist and ankles. When she tried to break free, her strength felt gone, then moments later one of the old doctors turned round, saw she was awake, and nudged the other. They took a new set of electrodes from a plastic bag, plugged them into a machine behind her head she couldn't see, then smeared electrolyte jelly on her temples before placing the electrodes on top of this surface and taping them in place. The large, overly-dramatic switch was pulled. She screamed.
quote:"How did I get here?"
"Don't you remember? You signed up for the Workforce, and there was an accident in your first training session. I think you took a nasty blow from the Chinese kid, and it ended up with you all concussed. Not to worry - you should feel right as reign in a day or so."
quote:«Leader?! How did I end up in this mess?»
She remembered leaving the orphanage in an attempt to find & join the Legion . After hours of flying around, trying to find the team, she'd talked herself out of it. Obviously they'd never accept someone who just... flew in and said "Hi, can I join your team?" It was hopeless.
Then she'd spotted the McCauley recruitment poster, and when she reached the building it mentioned on it, she'd been admitted to a meeting with Mr McCauley himself! Awed, of course she'd joined up straight away. And apart from that one strange incident where they all K.O.ed each other, she'd not had any real cause to regret her choice. Who'd have thought that Laurel Gand, an orphan with no living relatives and no money could make good so quickly?
quote:Andromeda was nervous as she stepped out of the black limousine. That feeling came more and more often to her nowadays, even if she was still good at not showing it, since she seemed to be expected to take a higher and higher profile. Still, this was verging on outright scary, and she stepped off the ground in case her walk was affected by the threat of her knees trembling.
The actual photo shoot had been arranged over a month before, but she had only found out about it a few days ago. The prospect, to her, wasn't thrilling.
quote:Andromeda sat in her dressing room and looked at the excuses-for-clothing she was meant to be pictured in. It wasn't that she was ashamed of how she looked - far from it - it just felt... wrong to pose like this.
quote:Andromeda finally got back into her own clothes at the end of a long, long day. Refusing the chauffeured lift back, she flew high and fast before anyone could object.
«Haven't been up here in a while,» she thought as she soared into the clear night sky. Ever since she'd joined McCauley, in fact. And after a day like that, the little voice at the back of her head that sometimes niggled "Why" got louder. It was something she hadn't wanted to do, and yet she'd done. And the flight over a desert road, only a van travelling the empty road in any direction within five miles of her, rang a faint bell somewhere in her head.
«Why?» she wondered as she touched down at the Workforce compound.
quote:"I heard the Legion had invited us, but no-one told me You-Know-Who had said we could go."
Andromeda bit back an automatic remark about calling McCauley that and wondered why she'd had to
quote:"I think whoever thought 'comic book superheroes' was a good theme for us was being far too cute... just look at some of these costumes."
"Says the girl who spent Thursday having her picture taken in a hundred bikinis or less," smirked Spark as she moved in to look at the screen. Admittedly, a few of the costumes WERE a bit... extreme, but most weren't anywhere near as bad as the now beet-red Laurel had suggested, especially when they went around in practically painted-on blue and black suits as a matter of course. "Why'd you do it anyway?" she asked in a more serious tone after seeing Andromeda's discomfort.
"I... don't know," Laurel muttered in a small voice.
Andromeda stood slowly, then silently hovered in the air, eyes glowing red.
McCauley gaped at her as it dawned on him what had just happened. He'd pushed her too far. Her programming was gone, her memory restored.
The chained princess had cast off her shackles.
She was become Death.
His Death.
Endgame: Ignition Posted by Reboot on :
Andromeda hovered there, unspeaking for a few moments, her only movement a slight trembling in her limbs. McCauley took advantage of that to press a button on his watch, and a lilac-skinned elven girl appeared.
"Send her somewhere - anywhere away from me and my property!" McCauley screamed at the girl. At that, Andromeda began to tear towards him, eyes still glowing, but not faster than the blink of an eye. She was gone.
"Now, send me you-know-where. And you -" he gestured at the other Workforcers, "- you, protect this place. Except you -" he pointed at Enrapture "- you come with me."
This time the elven girl raised two spears and threw them at McCauley and Enrapture, who both vanished. Then, for the first time since she'd been forced to ignore Trinity's pleas for help, the girl known as Blink smiled. McCauley screaming to send the leader of his Workforce away "anywhere away from him and his property" could mean only one thing. And she'd taken the command literally - and taken her first chance to do something to stop her "master." ____________________
Earlier:
Cosmic Boy's helicopter landed atop the skyscraper which contained Legion HQ. Unaware of what had happened shortly after his plane had left Polarity at Workforce HQ, he tore toward and down the stairs, the lift too slow for him at that moment. The only time he paused at all was to collect himself outside Trinity's room, and then only for a moment.
"How is she? Who did this?" he walked in, imbuing his voice with all the authority he could command after a trying three days, between his gran's stroke and the... horrible... news about Lorna.
"She's... well... she's angry." Tela, now sitting alone at Trinity's bedside, sounded exhausted as she spoke, "I've put everything back into place as best I can for now, and I treble-checked all the 'back doors' are shut and nailed locked, but her levels of emotion are making it difficult."
Cos remembered when the call came in from Garth six hours before at the hotel where he'd been staying, filling him in on how Trinity had finally come to ask for help, and the shocking results of her initial scan - how Trinity had been made to forget the fortnight, through a "back door" inserted into her mind, making her like "a puppet on a string." Cos had rushed back immediately, and guessed that Tela had been working constantly to undo the damage since Garth's phone call. He asked a couple more questions, got answers, then said, "You can't do anything more for her just now then?"
"I'm keeping her in REM sleep, trying to let her work out her anger without Gene having to pin her to the floor again."
"If she wakes up, I'll handle her. Go to bed. You look like you need to sleep yourself pretty desperately."
"But,..."
"GO! That's an order."
Normally, Irma would have argued, but after a busy day and a night of psychic surgery, working to undo the injury which had been done to Trinity, she was exhausted and her resources were low. She simply didn't have the strength to argue, and so trundled off to bed and hoped that Cos knew what he was letting himself in for.
Cos was left alone by Trinity's bedside, and while she still slept, dialled a number he kept in his head on her bedside phone.
"Brande." The gruff voice always answered the phone curtly, so much so it seemed almost out of character to those who knew him well, but Cos detected an even quicker edge to it than usual.
"Mr Brande, it's Rex. I'm at her bedside now, and I just sent Irma to bed. She was exhausted."
"By damn, how IS she?"
"Irma says she's stablised, but she was very angry..."
"Understandably so, I'd say!"
"I agree, but it means she can't quite get a bead on whether she's done or not. Most of the damage, at least, is fixed though and all the back doors are - quote - 'shut and nailed locked' - unquote. No-one's using her as a puppet again."
"Who was it?"
"Apparently, Leonard McCauley."
On Cos' answer, Brande went silent. That was very bad. Cos had come to know the old man well since he'd helped to save his life, and his anger was usually accompanied by a verbal explosion. He'd only seen him go silent once in anger, when his face twisted in a snarl, his fists balled up so tight that the skin almost split at the knuckles, and following pronouncements were in a low growl composed of pure hatred, leading Cos to fear he might have a stroke or heart attack.
Trying to move Brande's thoughts away from McCauley and back to Lorna, Cos asked when he was due in.
"An hour," Brande said in the low voice he'd expected and feared, "Damn weather's cost me at least two hours, and I won't land at JFK for at least forty-five minutes. I'll be straight up when I get there - keep an eye on her Rex, please."
"You don't have to ask, sir..." Cos' eyes turned to Lorna's sleeping form and hung there for a long moment. "Cosmic Boy out." Placing the phone on the reciever, he took Irma's seat by the bedside, and held Lorna's hand in his own while he waited for her to wake. ______________________
"Look up there in the sky!"
"Is it a bird?"
"Is it a plane?"
Tikhik looked at his comrades, an expression somewhere between annoyance and amusement on his face.
"Come on, we're in Metropolis! The place Superman's set," Sul grinned. "You have to say it!"
"Not on your life,..." Tik said, adding, "American capitalistic figleaf symbol..." under his breath.
"Hey, look up there for real!" Tom called, as they saw a red-clad figure blast across the sky, leaving a fiery trail behind.
They ran to see where the trail landed, unfortunately missing the "BREAKING NEWS" on the TVs in a nearby shop window saying "Trouble at McCauley Industries Workforce?" in the process. ______________________
Cos felt Trinity stir a moment before she groaned. "Hi. How do you feel?"
"Drained," Lorna leaned forward and rubbed her face, "Like someone got inside and sucked all the life out of me..."
"Irma said you took it pretty hard..."
"There's another way to take it? Did she tell you what it turned out to be?"
"Yeah. She also said Gene was making some calls to get a green-light."
"'Calls.' 'Green light'. Didn't need a green light for..."
"Shhhh..." Cos gently took her in his arms and held her until she stopped shaking.
"It's not just me either - what I saw - I think Paul and Garth's sister got similar treatment. When I figured that out, I decided it didn't matter what happened to me and went for the nearest phone when I should have kept doing what I had been, looking for a way out. I should have... I DID realise what would happen, and I did it anyway. Stupid..."
"Lu, listen to me - It is not your fault. Okay? It's the fault of whoever did this to you - McCauley and the people he employed to do it. Not you."
"But..."
"What's Purple saying just now? Is she saying 'But...' or 'Kick butt'?"
Trinity smiled weakly as confirmation.
"Well, sometimes, just sometimes, it's Purple you should listen to."
"Speaking of listening; listen Cos, I... I..." she stuttered for a moment, then moved closer, lips pursing.
"No...," Cos gently pushed her back, "You have no idea how much I'd like to... but not when you're barely hanging together like this."
"Cos... I..."
"I'd feel like I was taking advantage. Please..."
Before they could continue, however, there was a loud crash, and both instinctively rushed out to see the cause. As they reached the lobby, they and the other Legionnaires who had dashed to the source of the noise saw it - a hole in the ceiling, and a dent in the floor occupied by Andromeda.
Posted by Reboot on :
As Andromeda groggily raised herself to her hands and knees, wondering what had happened, she felt a muscle twitch in her back as what seemed like a giant rubber ball hit it, but didn't think much of it.
(Rebound, on the other hand, thought much of it as he was penalised for his hasty attack by being sent through the hole in the ceiling, then rattled around helplessly in the room above until Kinetix caught him while preparing to mend the ceiling some moments later.)
She wondered what had happened - she'd been accelerating toward McCauley, then suddenly he wasn't there and the ground was another floor height away, and she'd been so surprised she'd gone straight through one floor and almost the next one too.
Her eyes snapped open, still staring at the ground - of course, she'd been teleported. Which meant she could be anywhere. Which meant she'd have some explaining to do about the floor at best.
She contemplated making a run for it, until a male voice "coughed" and she pushed herself up to see almost the whole Legion of Super-Heroes standing around her. In their own lobby, she recognised. Crap. _______________
Cos wasn't sure how to react. After all the news the past eight hours had brought about McCauley, and what he'd done to Trinity, and presumably to the Workforce, suddenly the leader of the Workforce was standing... well, floating... in the middle of a bunch of debris caused by her crashing into the building. Without punching a hole in the outside. And she looked at least as surprised as anyone else there at what had just happened. He subconsciously moved in front of Trinity while taking a moment to decide on his course of action, especially with the team reportedly and visibly keyed up by the news.
"Legion, a..."
"Stand down." Cos cut Leviathan off before he could finish giving the attack order. Given Andromeda's confusion, the fact that she'd not attacked anyone despite her speed (Chuck didn't count, since she hadn't even seemed to notice him), her overall power level, and their location all combined to make fighting a bad idea. "Andromeda, what's going on?" he asked her over the murmurs, hoping Irma would be awake enough if needed.
"I-I-I..." she stuttered, trying to stall for a moment, before deciding, "I need to speak to you, privately. And Live Wire as well."
"All right," he said quickly, before adding, "provided Trinity can come as well. If this is what I think it is, it concerns her too."
Andromeda looked puzzled, but agreed. Before they left the lobby, however, Leviathan waylaid him to demand he be included in the talks too.
"Gene, firstly she's non-hostile. If she wasn't, she could have knocked most of us out before we even had our bearings. Secondly, you were about to give the order to attack her; she's hardly likely to trust you. Thirdly, get Irma up, we might need her. Fourthly, I need you to keep pushing for a green light more than ever at this point. Okay?"
"Fine," Leviathan said, with a tone that said the opposite. Under the cirumstances, however, Cos didn't have time for military 'intelligence', and walked over to the right-hand door, indicating that the others should follow.
"Wait a minute Cos..." The four looked around, to see Zoë floating down from fixing the ceiling, "I just wondered if Andromeda would like her costume fixed first"
Laurel looked down at her badly ripped costume, and asked Kinetix if she would do it - and to the surprise of those there, could she give her an actual change, not just a fixed-up costume. Zoë thought for a moment, thought about the Andromeda star-galaxy, and with a wave of her hand changed Laurel's ripped blue costume into a suit with black sparkly legs, collar and shoulders, a large four-pointed star to match her hair colour in the middle of her chest, and white covering the rest of her torso and arms, with her sleeves ending in gold chains around the wrists.
Laurel liked it for the most part, but asked for the chains on the wrists to be changed, to which Zoë reluctantly obliged, making her wrists match the material on her shoulder and legs. When she got the chance to design for someone else, she liked to keep the whole look as she envisaged. _________________
Once they were ensconced in a spare bedroom, Andromeda proceeded to spill her guts about what had happened to her, and Cos, realising that she needed to let it out, just let her talk for the most part, taking mental notes on how it compared to Trinity's experience, Garth sat and looked edgy, and T-Purple marched around the room while her other selves sat very still.
Once Andromeda had finished, Cos looked at Trinity-Neutral, and she asked him to tell it, which he did as briefly as possible. Afterward, they sat in silence for some moments, interrupted for Cos by a flash from Tela to let him know she was there and had been waiting for a quiet moment. Feeling her exhaustion, he confined himself to one question - could she be trusted?
«She's telling the truth, if that's what you mean. She's in an even worse state than Lorna was though - she only broke the programming and blocks because she was already teetering, and McCauley literally pushed her over the edge, and she's transferring a load of self-hatred from... something... she did recently - I can't see what, it's too raw - onto him over and above everything else. If you take her when you go to confront him, she'll probably kill him and then herself.»
«Right... thanks,» Cos closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, «One more thing before you go back to bed - can you make her really, really tired, the sort of tired where she can't keep her eyes open and needs at least eight hours sleep desperately?»
«Now more than ever, wh...» then it hit Irma. She blamed her own tiredness for making her ask the question, «s'okay, got it. It should hit her within the next couple of minutes.»
«Thanks Irma - go and get a few hours yourself. We'll need you again before long.»
He felt her go, like a buzzing he hadn't noticed until it stopped, and looked around. ________
Laurel was sitting, trying to make small talk with one of the Trinities when she felt the wave of tiredness suddenly wash over her. Trinity-Orange noticed her head slump and grabbed her shoulder in case her head hit the table, but Laurel waved her away, forcing her head up straight.
"You alright?" T-Orange asked.
"Fine, I think everything just caught up with me."
"If you want some rest," Cos broke in, "you can use this room - it's a spare."
While Trinity-Purple gave Cos an odd glance at the way he said it, Laurel was in no position to say no, and they filed out the room to give her a shot at sleep. Cos pointed out the standard dressing gown and towels as they left the room, but Laurel didn't hear - she just fell into the bed, costume and all, and was asleep within moments.
Posted by Reboot on :
Three Hours Later:
"For the third time - NO!"
Garth took half a step back, clenched his fist so tightly it hurt and closed his eyes before they started sparking at the idiot. Irma noticed the gesture and put her arm around him quietly while Cos tried to convince the bureaucrat what they needed to do. In the meantime, Lorna was staring daggers at Gene, who was making no audible effort to back Cos up despite what they'd agreed and looked like he wished he hadn't. Cos himself, meanwhile, seemed to be the calmest in the room - true, there was a slight strain at the edge of his voice, but he had himself well under control, despite being baulked by a person at least three levels too junior to authorise anything, but who refused to allow them to access the higher-ups.
The Legion's command structure wasn't suited to initiative.
"Let me explain. Again." Mr. Bureaucrat cut Cos off - again. "Mr Leonard McCauley is a well-known and respected businessman. He has connections to both the current and incoming Presidents. His company is an employer of thousands of Americans. If you even consider this... this...," he couldn't find a word and carried on, "have you any IDEA of what damage this will cause to the United Nations?"
"Any idea if there's anyone in this building with balls?" The words spat from the back, Garth beginning to lose whatever semblance of restraint he had and earning a sharp glance from Cos for his trouble.
"I understand, sir," Cos continued, "but..."
"But you really have no idea what it's like not to be in control of your own mind, do you?" Irma broke in.
"N-now, see here Tela, you..."
"Oh, I wouldn't control you. Make you a puppet on a string, make you wear a dress and sing 'On the good ship lollipop', make you go against your beliefs, destroy your confidence. I *COULD*" and there Irma let it hang for a moment, ignoring the looks Cos and - especially - Leviathan were giving her, as the functionary looked terrified, " but that's not the sort of thing I would do. But McCauley would - McCauley HAS. Would you like to see what Trinity experienced after McCauley took her captive?"
The bureaucrat stuttered and subconsciously retreated from behind his desk closer to the corner where the two windowed walls intersected, stuttering that, no, it wasn't needed.
"But you don't REALLY believe me, do you? You're just saying that because you're scared - you think I'm making it up, exaggerating it, don't you? You're practically screaming it at me. But..."
"Tela!" Cos had finally had enough - Irma was pushing this too far.
"Look," the grey-suit-and-tie-man still looked scared, but was clearly making an effort to pull himself together, "let's say you did push past me - what then? You do the same with everyone until you finally bully someone into saying 'Yes'? If you want to do this thing you need evidence - HARD evidence, irrefutable evidence - that what you're saying is true. Until then,..."
"I understand, sir, thank you." Lorna looked on, aghast, as Cos turned and started herding the group out of the room at that point, not moving until she felt his gentle but firm hand on her shoulder spinning her round, and didn't speak to him as they went down in the lift, as they climbed into the front taxi with Leviathan while Garth and Irma took the rear, or for the whole taxi ride back to HQ. Which, she saw, Leviathan spent with a "told you so" look on his face until she finally couldn't look at him and Cos any more and turned to stare out of the window.
When they arrived back at HQ, however, and she opened the door to get out, Cos stopped her with a hand on her shoulder - "Wait Lu - I've arranged it with Gene, we're just here to let him off before we go jet-skiing."
"I d...," she started to protest, but Cos gave her a hard stare as Leviathan got out the taxi, "Fine....," she sighed and slumped back into the seat once more.
She was so P.O.ed at the situation that she almost didn't hear where Cos told the driver to take them. On hearing it, her eyes snapped open and she turned to stare at Cos.
Cos broke out in a smile, "What - you really bought it?", which led to him getting a punch in the arm. "Hey - I could hardly say 'We're off to rescue Paul and Ella and shut McCauley's brainwashing operation down' in front of Gene, could I? R.J. set the wheels in motion just before he had to leave HQ, and Lyle & Reed were setting the details up while we were over at the UN. Sorry I didn't mention it, but, you know, you looking happy in the same taxi as Gene after that..."
"Wait, so you're saying that you knew that was pointless and it was just... what... a sham to keep Gene quiet?"
"Of course not - we had to try it. If it had come off, we could have had the whole team - minus the AWOL four - rather than just me, you, Garth, Irma and the sneaky pair. Come on Lu - I need your head in the game here - there's only six of us, and we're going to need to stick together. Andromeda would have been a big help, and we had to leave her behind because she was on the ragged edge. If you're not up to it, please, tell me now."
"Don't worry - I'm up for it. No-one's catching me out ever again."
Cos heard, but ignored the minor change in wording, and hoped everything would go alright as he leaned back and shut his eyes. He was - they were - committed now, and if this went wrong... ______________
Half an hour later, they arrived at the small, private airport where Brande kept his private jet on NY trips. And there he got a surprise - where he expected two Legionnaires to greet them, there were four.
"Nura?"
"Hi Irma," Dreamer let a corner of her mouth twist into a smile on seeing her friend's shock, matched by several of the others as she stood there, her silvery hair and costume making a sharp contrast with her chocolate-milk skin, then turned to the team leader, "Cos".
"Should I even bother asking?" Cos sighed.
"I saw you were short handed, and I thought that, since you stopped Leviathan from kicking me off the team the other day..." As she said this, Trinity gave Cos a 'her too' glance and wondered how many others Gene had tried to boot off.
«Besides, I thought you might need a friend,» Irma felt her psi-link with Nura spark into life.
«Nura, I'm sorry that...»
«Don't worry about it - I know how you've been rushed off your feet. 'Sides, what you don't know, Gene can't try to sack you for,» Nura grinned and Irma felt a phantom hand clasp her own and squeeze, and she smiled back.
"And Quislet?" Cos gestured at the small silver ship hovering around Nura.
"He's been following me around for the past two days and I can't shift him - you know what he's like."
Unconsciously, every other team member present nodded simultaneously in agreement. _______________
Ella sat in a darkened corner of the Workforce HQ, trying to get everything to add up. Laurel had snapped. And McCauley had seemed prepared - shocked and scared, but prepared. Meta had always been his "pet" - in case something like this happened? That meant...
Suddenly, she was hit by a blinding migraine before she could continue down the direction her thoughts were going. "That... means..." she muttered out loud, trying to keep her mind on-track, but it was no good. She let her mind go blank, shut her eyes and leaned back, taking deep breaths as the migraine passed.
When it eventually did, she tried to pick up her train of thought - but it was no good, it was gone.
She tried to retrace her steps, thinking about what she'd been thinking about, but even as she was struggling to do that, Polarity found her. "Ella, we're wanted down at the rec room."
"Great..." she muttered, following Paul down with a sense of unease, made worse by it being so vague. _______________
The phone on his desk buzzed. "Sir, there's a plane approaching. What should...?"
"Let it land - there's no profit in shooting it down. It may be nothing - and even if it is connected to Andromeda's betrayal, she would survive it and others may too; and we would damn ourselves either way.
And, if it must be done, let it be done surely..." _______________
"Lyle says we're safe to move," Irma announced. The plane trip to the McCauley facility which incorporated the Workforce's HQ had been tense - with Cos and Garth nervous over their siblings who they hoped to find there, Trinity very quiet over what had happened to her and was to come, and Irma herself nervous for her friends and what would be expected of her, it could hardly be otherwise. Dreamer, Lyle and Shifter - less personally involved - had done what they could during the flight, and Quislet had buzzed around as usual, but, all the same - tense.
Once Lyle had "told" Irma it was safe for them to leave the plane, therefore, they wasted no time in moving out, meeting up with him at a side entrance to the Workforce HQ.
"I only did a quick scout," he explained, "but there's something downstairs I think you should see - something which certainly falls under 'hard evidence' in my book."
Cos said, "Lead the way," and they filed in turn down a corridor into an open area that Trinity, at the back of the group, presumed to be one of the Workforce's training rooms - a gymnasium, by the looks of the various pieces of equipment scattered about, she thought, rather than the more... active... room Polarity had described to Cos on their last visit. As she was looking around to see this, however, she happened to glance up as a reflection caught her eye. A reflection which came off a piece of glass - which appeared to have Leonard McCauley at a desk behind it. She looked at the rest of the group, carrying on ahead of her, and wrestled with herself for a moment - what was he doing there, surely he'd be a million miles away from trouble; she'd said to Cos - at the very least she should point it out to him; this was personal... the strain made her split.
T-Purple took one second to look each of her other selves in the eye, and ran for a door below the glass, at the opposite end from where the other Legionnaires were going. T-Neutral looked at T-Orange, thoughts bouncing between the two without words, until, after what seemed like forever but was less than a minute, they followed their more impulsive self. If they waited until Cos and co were ready, McCauley might escape - he had a teleporter, after all - and she would, could, never let him escape to do to anyone else what he'd done to her.
They caught up with T-Purple after a couple of minutes, where she was waiting for them expectantly at the foot of some stairs, the link between the three letting her know they'd followed and telling them where to go. Merging into one once more, she ascended the stairs, but was stopped at the top by someone she recognised, the sight of her sparking her anger still further.
"I'm sorry, Mr. McCauley isn't available just now. But if you'd like to leave a message, we can finish what we started at Hallowe'en," Enrapture smirked at her. _______________
Meanwhile, the other Legionnaires had continued out of the gymnasium down an open corridor. Caught up in their own thoughts, they only noticed Lorna's disappearance when Cos, immediately behind Lyle at the head of the group, glanced back as they turned a corner.
"I told her," he muttered to himself as he stopped the group.
"Cos," Lyle broke in upon seeing his face and realising the situation, "we can't go back - if she's been captured she could be anywhere, and if she's gone off herself she knows the risk - and could still be anywhere. We need to press on, get some pictures, then see if we can find the Workforce and Trinity."
Cos bit back the response he had been about to make and saw the logic in what Lyle had said. "Okay, but we need to move faster here. Hurry up."
Lyle took the hint and started running, but as they descended a flight of stairs, they had to stop again, as Dreamer gasped aloud and they spun to look at her.
"There's something big coming," Dreamer said as Tela took her shoulder, "Something bad..." _______________
Unaware of what was happening not far from his office between Enrapture and Trinity, McCauley stared at the screen on his desk, currently showing CCTV of the statis level, and saw the seven Legionnaires approaching the area that held the actual statis tubes.
This was worse than he'd expected - he'd thought they would have gone straight to the recreation room where the bulk of the Workforce was waiting for them, or perhaps even attempted to go after him, personally, with the glimpse of himself he'd given them, driving them into Enrapture's hands with the rest of the WF able to be called after them if necessary. However, he couldn't send the Workforce down to the statis level...
Tapping his pen on the desk, he came to a decision and picked up the phone, pressed four buttons and spoke. "The Legion are coming. Open pod H-07."
In his ear, he heard buttons clicking as the person on the other end checked what was in the pod in question. "But...," the voice said in the tone of one trying very hard to stay composed and doing so poorly, "But... but... he's uncontrollable!"
"As with the fire girl and the orphanage, uncontrollable can be helpful in the right circumstances. Open the pod." _______________
He woke up, entombed in a small tube.
"Hello," said a canned female voice, "You have just spent nine months in suspended animation..."
He felt himself getting angry.
"...as a direct result of the beings trying to prevent this pod from being opened, which it will do in thirty-four seconds. In the meantime..."
A roaring sound was heard, and the Legionnaires turned toward the pod in time to see it rent asunder by what was within.
"Free? Now... finally..."
The Legionnaires subconsciously began to back away slowly as they saw what was emerging from remnants of the pod...
"...HULK WILL SMASH!"
Posted by Reboot on :
Sul was the first to reach the figure they'd been tracking - Nori might have been outright faster, but she didn't have the strength and natural climbing ability Sul did, and so had to wait at the base of the twelve-story building with the others while Sul checked that "laughing boy" was still there, with Tik saving his strength.
Sul enjoyed the chance to really stretch herself in the climb, hand over hand in the small crevices allowed her in the building's design, and reached the top in a surprisingly short time to see the red-clad figure hovering there - no flame like the trail he'd left along the sky; nor, indeed, any sign of any movement on his part at all. Leaning over the edge, she waved to Tik to bring the rest up; then started edging cautiously towards the floating figure, trying not to startle him.
A point which became academic when the glowing portal opened directly in front of him, leading her to curse loudly in Cantonese. _________________
"Hulk..."
Yes, we know. Learn what a personal pronoun is... Lyle thought as this "Hulk" crashed through the ceiling like it was tissue paper, before coming straight back through, nearly landing on Tela in the process. "We need to get this away from those pods!" he shouted, "if this thing lands on any of them..."
Cosmic Boy took the hint and directed most of the others towards the stairs while he and Garth unloaded at it, cutting loose with their powers for the first time ever. Initially, they made progress as the Hulk fell backwards, struggling as its' skin charring under their combined onslaught. However, just as they had it pinned, and the last of their five comrades made it to the stairs, the blackened area impossibly began to heal even as they continued blasting, and it picked itself up and started walking straight through the barrage towards them.
"Puny humans - they think they can stop Hulk and trap him again. Idiots - you can't stop Hulk. Hulk is..."
They cut the power and ran for the stairs, while the Hulk suddenly flew forward, barely missing Garth, into a wall. The whole building seemed to shake as he impacted. _________________
Trinity and Enrapture circled around each other, sizing the other up.
"What - no witty remarks, no 'You won't get away with this!'es before I make you bark like a dog, amongst other things?"
"I don't have anything to say to you. You're a puppet who likes the strings since you can get off on your sick urges and get away with it. And, d'you know what else?"
"No, and why should I care?"
Trinity, psi-sensitive as she was, felt the tingle a split second before the psi-bolt was launched, and that was enough for her to split just as the bolt reached her, tangling it and pulling at Enrapture's mind in her self-psi-link. Enrapture screamed in pain for a moment, then collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"Because I was going to tell you your door was shut. But you've guessed that now, right?" T-Purple spat. As Purple and Neutral walked down the corridor, Trinity-Orange checked for a pulse. After she was sure she'd found one, she left Enrapture to join her other selves at the big door.
There, they looked at each other.
«Please Lord, let us get through this,» Orange thought «Let us get the answers we need,» Neutral continued, «Give us answers or give us death!» Purple finished, ignoring the stares of the other two. They remerged, and Trinity opened the door slowly.
The first thing she saw was the elven girl, facing away from the door, who'd looked for all the world like she'd wanted to help her that night, and couldn't. Moving quickly, she hit her hard on the back of her head with the edge of her hand, and she crumpled to the floor. After taking a second to make sure she was out cold but otherwise okay, she turned to face McCauley and spoke... _________________
Garth, from behind the Hulk, zapped the floorboards out from under him momentarily. The Hulk hadn't even been fazed by his impact with the wall, apparently. As he and Cos had chased after the others, he'd crashed through the floor behind them, and collapsing the floor was, at best, a delaying tactic.
«Straight ahead, right, left.» Irma's telepathic "voice" rattled through his head, and a glance at Cos showed he'd heard it too. With the Hulk barely behind them and catching, the sharp right turn made them skid slightly, but his size and weight meant that his foot actually wore through the floor, giving them the time they needed to make it into the gym - not the one they'd entered through, this one appeared to be empty of both people and objects, until they looked and saw Dreamer, Quislet and Tela in one corner. They rushed to join them.
"Where's...?" Cos had been about to ask for Lyle and Reed, but didn't get the chance as the Hulk bounded in - only to find Shifter's body wrapping its' way around them. Irma took her cue to launch a psychic assault on the huge man-like creature, only to find her attack bounce off its' tremendous psi-shields. A moment later, and it ripped Reed off and threw him away. _________________
Tears flowed freely from Spark's eyes - even without thinking deeply, she could see that they were in a no-win situation.
When the word of a battle between a huge, green "Hulk" and the Legion in their own HQ had started, the Workforce had been called in for "containment" - meaning, the team were under orders to assault - and assassinate if possible - any Legionnaires who escaped the big green brute; Except her brother, but that was only a small mercy. She wanted to help, to swoop in and save them - or at least help them. Instead, she sat there watching them on a monitor, ready to go and, and...
Paul, his own eyes bloodshot, put his arm around her and leaned against her. Her mind frantically looked for a loophole, as it seemed like, whatever happened, her and Paul would lose as the beast marched slowly toward the Legionnaires with the menace in its' moves... _________________
"...and into it, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all other life."
Trinity cocked her head. "Sauron in Lord of the Rings. But it describes you too. All of this -" she gestured with her hand at the sounds of the fight raging elsewhere, "It's you. Your cruelty. Your malice. Your will to dominate. If only we could just chuck a ring into a volcano and be done with you.
What I don't get is what's my part in your sorry scheme. I don't know what Enrapture took out my head at Hallowe'en, but it can't have been worth this risk. And when we found out about it, obviously this was going to happen, Andromeda or no Andromeda."
She looked at him, straight in the eye. "So what else did you do to me?"
At that, McCauley just threw his head back and laughed. Trinity split into three, and T-Purple advanced on him, and without the slightest objection from the other two, punched him square in the face.
"Who ever said..." "...it was about what we would do TO YOU?"
The Trinities gasped in shock. Two Leonard McCauleys now stood in front of them.
Posted by Reboot on :
Interlude 1:
Laurel galloped along on horseback, just her and Swiftwind to enjoy the setting sun. She adjusted her hat and pulled him up just as they reached the brook so he could have a drink and she could take it in more fully. She pushed her long braid back over her shoulder and sighed in contentment.
Then, though, a pair of clouds appeared from nowhere to cover the sun. Then the oddly-round clouds got bigger, and bigger. She tried to pull Swifty away, but he vanished and she landed on the ground with a thud. Blue-and-black clad hands reached out, pulling her to the ground as the pair of horn-rimmed glasses the clouds had become decended, from the sky growing bigger and bigger, falling on her, crushing her. She gasped out for help, but none came, and as the last of her breath was forced from her... she opened her eyes. _________________
Interlude 2:
quote:Sul was the first to reach the figure they'd been tracking - Nori might have been outright faster, but she didn't have the strength and natural climbing ability Sul did, and so had to wait at the base of the twelve-story building with the others while Sul checked that "laughing boy" was still there, with Tik saving his strength.
Sul enjoyed the chance to really stretch herself in the climb, hand over hand in the small crevices allowed her in the building's design, and reached the top in a surprisingly short time to see the red-clad figure hovering there - no flame like the trail he'd left along the sky; nor, indeed, any sign of any movement on his part at all. Leaning over the edge, she waved to Tik to bring the rest up, then started edging cautiously towards the floating figure, trying not to startle him.
A point which became academic when the glowing portal opened directly in front of him, leading her to curse loudly in Cantonese.
"You really couldn't have waited a minute, or teleported behind him?" Sul sighed loudly.
"Ptui," Tik spat as Nori ran up to the red figure, who was still hovering there immobile, and clicked her fingers - letting off a bright flash and a loud crack in front of his face. That got his attention, and he seemed to stir as if waking from a deep sleep.
He seemed to be dressed like a racing driver, in what looked like fireproof overalls and crash helmet - but there was something odd about the way the suit was filled out, Sul thought.
"Wha..."
"It's okay," Tom hastily put in, "we're not going to hurt you or anything. We were just being,... well.. nosy about what you were doing flashing along the sky like that then hovering up here."
"Was watching TV. That a problem?" The voice, they noticed now, had a distractingly metallic edge - and sounded oddly deep despite that, with the metallic fizz taking the edge off it. Also, the intonation on one or two of the syllables were out-of-place.
"No, it's nothing - we were just killing time. Besides, it's not as if there are many others who can fly."
A noise almost, but not quite, like a sigh came from the stranger. "Sorry, w-- I get like that sometimes. I'm Drake. So, what are you up to, seriously?"
Tom instictively turned to Tik, who explained briefly.
"McCauley?", and he chortled, You should see this. It's what I was just watching."
With that, "Drake" turned to face the wall, and started projecting what looked like a news report onto it.
A large 'BREAKING NEWS' caption was at the bottom of the screen, and as the report flashed around various pictures, text appeared to go with the caption. It read "EXPLOSION AT HQ OF MCCAULEY INDUSTRIES WORKFORCE. MORE DETAILS TO COME..."
A green portal opened in front of them, and Tikhik started walking towards it, no sound, no turning round. The others followed quickly in case he shut the portal on them - including the curious Drake. _________________
Interlude 3
Andromeda woke up groggily. "Wha...?" Pushing the dream out of her mind, she thought back - she'd sat down for a few moments because she'd felt... tired? She didn't get tired - certainly not THAT tired. Then she remembered where she was and she sat up, blinking, and turned the TV in her room on.
A news channel came on with the TV, and she listened to it as she went to rinse her face, "...at his inauguration ceremony tomorrow. *jingle* There's been an explosion at Workforce Headquarters. Details are sketchy at present, but there are no reports of fatalities as of..."
It took a second for that item to sink into Andromeda's head, and a further second for her to realise the likely cause.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" she exclaimed as she burst out of the building at super-speed. It was her life that had been toyed with for months. They weren't going to deal with him without her.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
FLASHBACK
These events take place around the time of the Halloween Party.
The story: Legionnaires Flash and Kid Quantum have headed to Norway to confront Jeane Chu, whom they believe responsible for ordering the scientific experiments that claimed the lives of Flash's mother and uncle and Kid Q's brother.
Following them are Legionnaires Live Wire, Kinetix, Rebound and Blizzard. Following THEM is Berta Herrera, who calls herself Nightwind and wants to join the Legion.
************************************************
Kinetix marveled at the clearness of the cool crisp air, and how clearly she could see her two teammates. She'd been tailing them for nearly an hour, but just a few mintues ago Flash had kicked up a cloud of dust to hide herself and Kid Quantum from prying eyes. She knew they couldn't have gotten far, since Jenni wouldn't leave the slower Jazmin behind, but the only way she could have seen them would be to telekinetically sweep the dust away - and that would have given her presence away.
She'd been about to give up and wait for Garth and the others, but suddenly wind had cleared the dustclouds away. What luck! And now she could see exactly where they were heading.
"Garth, you guys need to hurry up. I know exactly where they're going and we have to stop them right now!"
************************************************
"I've scouted the area. I don't see any guards outside, but I'm sure there's some surveillance. You'll have to take care of that." Jenni said.
"Fine," Jazmin's eyes glowed as she prepared herself. "I'm ready."
************************************************
"Took you long enough."
"Sorry, Ma'am. Not everyone is capable of flight, you know. You're just lucky Irma's had enough power left to link us up to here. Now we're on our own until she can get some rest. Now where-"
"You are not hurt?" Brock jumped in, not even noticing that he'd interrupted Garth.
"Brock, I--"
"That's sweet of you, but no. All I did was fly, Brock. But let's focus on helping Jenni and Jaz, okay?" Zoe turned to face Garth again.
"They're over there, on the other side of that building. Jenni must have scouted the entrance, and-" Chuck cut her off with a gesture.
"There's someone following us." He whispered. "Listen."
They all stopped, and heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps.
Brock raised a quizical eyebrow, and Garth nodded.
They all heard the loud gasp as a flurry of snow descended in the direction of the footsteps.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
"Who are you?" Garth demanded to the figured buried waist-deep in snow.
"My name is Berta Herrera, but you may call me Amihan. You are Legionnaires, right?"
The four Legionnaires exchanged looks at the calmness of the reply. Chuck shrugged his shoulders. "No sense in lying, she's pretty sure of herself. You okay?"
"Yes. I apologize for following you, but I was hoping you could help me. I want to join the Legion."
"Somehow I knew you were going to say that. You were the one who cleared the dust away for Kinetix? And I suppose you were responsible for the wind that helped push me along while I was bouncing?"
Chuck barely waited for her nod before turning to his three still-surprised teammates. He shrugged again. "Amihan's a Filipino word that means trade wind, roughly. I have roots there. She's good; it took me a while to notice that the wind seemed to be concentrated in one area. Should we take her along with us? I think she'd be an asset. She's definitely Legion material."
Barely waiting for their nods, Chuck turned towards Berta. "Welcome aboard, Berta. Good work following us. Lucky for you, the UN's still squabbling over the Legion membership protocols - I think we'll be able to slip you past the ban and get you in. Most of the others wouldn't turn down a new member either. Now, let's get that snow off you."
"Thank you!" Though her voice was controlled, Berta's grin spoke volumes. "I can blow it away."
As they watched Berta do just that, Brock whispered. "That IS Chuck, right?"
Zoe frowned. "He mentioned being class president in high school, but I never thought he was that confident."
"Just goes to show you-"
Garth's next words were drowned out in a sudden explosion.
[ December 11, 2011, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Five Hours Ago:
McCauley exhaled as he landed on his chaise - he didn't have long. The machine and potion worked on a combination of science and magic, but only rudimentary tests had been completed - enough to know it wouldn't kill him, but he couldn't be sure of the results, and it would normally have been some time before he used it on himself as he had planned.
With Andromeda free, however - and looking to kill him on the face of it - time was exactly what he did not have. He needed power and he needed it immediately, whatever the risk.
He sat in the chair and directed Enrapture to press the button... ________________
"Now..." the two McCauleys' voices each echoed the other. They stamped their feet, and suddenly four McCauleys stood before the three Trinities, eyes beginning to glow. "...where were we?"
The Trinities stood their ground, stern-faced and determined not to let him win. ______________
As the Hulk had almost reached the team, Cos and Garth setting their chins for another attempt at blasting him away, he felt something on the back of his neck. As he reached round to rip it away, however, it suddenly let out a deafening high-pitched squeal, while Lyle materialised briefly behind him and gestured for them to move. They were barely out of its' way when he pulled it off and crushed it in his hand, but then Shifter, not bothering with subtlety now and bulked up into a huge, lumpy, orange form grabbed the Hulk from behind and managed to toss him across the room away from the team.
Dreamer took that moment to tell Cos, Garth and Irma that help was coming, and if they wanted to save their siblings, now would be a good time to take the door behind them. "Don't worry about us," she forced a smile, "we should be getting help any moment now..." ______________
Tikhik stepped into the building he'd barely escaped from, on the verge of being brainwashed, for the first time since and shivered.
"Be strong, Tik," Tom muttered behind him as they walked along the corridor, then louder as they entered the first gym, "Nori, Sul, stay close. We don't know what's going to..."
"McCauley..." Even from such a great distance, Tikhik saw a Leonard McCauley through the same window Trinity had earlier, and vanished.
"Good luck Tik," Tom thought, then said aloud, "Come on, he can't have gone far, let's see..."
For the second time in as many sentences, he was interrupted as Shifter came flying through the wall toward them, shrinking to normal size as he went.
"I've got him!" Sul shouted, and jumped high and forward, gauging her momentum so that she wasn't forced backward when Shifter flew into her arms.
"Who...?" Shifter said, slightly weakly, as they landed.
"We're friends," Tom said, recognising the Legionnaire, "and let me guess," spotting the Hulk through the huge hole now blasted through the wall, "he's the bad guy?"
"Looks that way, doesn't it?" Shifter coughed and stood, focusing on healing his bruises as Nura stood directly in front of the Hulk, staring him down, "Normally I wouldn't ask, but most of my teammates are down or elsewhere, and any help you can provide..." ______________
Three of those teammates, the three founders of the Legion of Super-Heroes, were walking down a corridor at that moment.
Cosmic Boy was tense, but was pushing it down, taking care to play the leader, trying not to think about his brother. If only he hadn't dropped him off here, at Workforce HQ, that very morning...
Tela was thinking hard about the "surgery" she'd done on Trinity to remove her programming, and thinking how to replicate it quickly, or whether she should just try and keep them out cold and do it later. She also had a mental link with Dreamer, and the picture of the Hulk's face wasn't helping.
Live Wire was in chaos. The last time he'd seen his sister had been at Hallowe'en, where she'd blown him off. The previous time nearly had them blowing each other up. Now, with the knowledge that she'd been brainwashed, he didn't know what to think.
His sister - Ella Raines, Spark - herself was lying in wait ahead with the other four remaining members of the Workforce. When the three Legion founders had broken off from the fight against the Hulk, they'd been ordered into the ambush position. She wasn't happy.
She looked across at Polarity, who was equally unhappy. Neither of them wanted to fight.
They heard them coming, and Dragonmage, hovering above, signalled. Inferno's hand started to glow, and Reflecto drew his swords. Spark and Polarity also powered up, more reluctantly.
"GO!" They leapt out.
Ella, on point, took a moment to think which one she would do least damage to with an attack, and started to zap Cos, expecting the same result as an assault on Polarity - namely his powers going momentarily haywire but no great damage. However, Cos was better-trained than his brother and managed to deflect the beam so it hit the floor, scorching it but causing little damage.
Garth then grabbed her arms, "Ella, what the hell are you d..."
She cut him off, "Garth, knock me out."
"Wha...?"
"You're the only one I've been told not to attack. I can't stop myself. KNOCK ME OUT."
"Why... why...?"
"He pushed Laurel too far, she broke free. I think that was the reason. Now please... think of all the times I've been a witch at you over the past few months... whatever. Just do it. I'd rather wake up with a bad headache than kill someone."
They heard a thump to their side and turned to see Cos lowering Polarity's body gently to the ground as Tela fought to keep Reflecto and Inferno at bay. "Do it Garth. That's an order."
Meanwhile, Dragonmage hovered above the battleground, looking on silently... ______________
There were no words now, only action. Trinity was young, fit, an expert hand-to-hand fighter and used to co-ordinating three bodies to work better as a team than three individual fighters. McCauley was none of these things, but every blow rained on him meant another McCauley appeared. There were already six of him, and with no obvious limit his numbers were threatening to overwhelm her, even as she thought hard for ways to incapacitate them that wouldn't spawn more. She twisted, turned, merged and demerged expertly to dodge without striking him, but still four became six, seven, eight, and their eyes glowed with energy if they tired of a physical fight. But just as Orange tripped from the increasingly frantic pace demanded of her, their enemies' eyes were suddenly elsewhere.
"Hello McCauley." Tikhik's voice dripped with ice as he exited the portal, seemingly unsurprised to see ten Leonard McCauleys turn their eyes toward him.
Things happened quickly then.
Twenty white-hot beams of energy lanced towards Tik, as Trinity took the moments' respite to remerge behind the McCauleys.
The energy beams hit not black exoskeleton, but green portal.
Trinity demerged again and swept three McCauleys from their feet.
Their eyebeams met the others returning through a portal from the ceiling.
Beams from above and in front met two of the McCauleys and sliced each in half. ______________
"Ten, nine..." Dreamer counted internally while she stood under the Hulk as it looked uncertainly at her, internal conflict raging through its dull brain as it decided what to do with this girl who was staring him straight in the eye. "Eight, seven, six..." As it began to lower its fists, however, it lurched as if in pain and roared, "Hulk SMASH," looking at her as if responsible for it, "Five, four, three," it raised its' fist, "Two, one,..." it began to bring it down, almost as if in slow motion... "Zer-Ouph..."
The "Ouph" she let out wasn't because of the Hulk's fist, but because of Nori slamming into her, winding her as she stole her away from imminent death.
"You were a second late," she panted as Nori set her down beside the others. Nori just raised an eyebrow at that. ______________
"I-- I--" Live Wire looked into his sister's eyes, when, suddenly, they rolled back in her head and she collapsed into his arms. After checking she was breathing, he looked around at Tela, sweat pouring off her head. «Thanks.»
«Don't thank me - HELP ME!» Tela 'yelled.' Cos had taken over fighting Inferno now, but Reflecto was obviously giving her trouble, and she couldn't just zap him into unconsciousness. It was taking everything she had to hold him back, but with a level of willpower possessed only by the truly innocent or the truly ignorant, he was getting closer, one slow, painful step at a time.
Unthinkingly, holding Spark against himself with his right arm, Garth let off a blast with his left in Reflecto's direction without thinking what Reflecto's power was.
However, unlike the normal "reflective," results of his power, which would have sent the bolt straight back at Live Wire, the mental-lightning combination created an explosion of sorts, knocking all three to the ground.
At that moment, a singing voice rang out, "# Here I come to save the day! #". And, on hearing Quislet's voice, Reflecto pulled himself up. "You..." ______________
The rest of the McCauleys doubled over in seeming pain, and Tikhik and Trinity-Orange took the chance to inspect the two fallen ones.
Much to their surprise, they found no blood. On closer inspection, they were solid all the way through - like flesh-coloured rubber.
While they were digesting this, however, T-Orange was hit on the head by another McCauley, and T-Neutral and T-Purple winced in sympathy pain. Another McCauley looked to take advantage of their momentary weakness, but instead found himself knocked across the room by a combination-punch from the both of them, splitting into two on landing.
"THIS ISN'T GETTING US ANYWHERE!" T-Purple yelled aloud. "I DON'T THINK ANY OF THESE ARE THE REAL ONE!"
At that, something caught T-Neutral's eye. An ill-fitted wall panel behind the desk... ______________
Cos stood his ground behind a magnetic shield and thought. Inferno was either untrained or poorly-trained, and was resorting to brute-force attacks, seeking to simply burn him severely. On the other hand, while he could keep the flame out, he was sweating badly under the heat - and even if she wasn't going to beat him without a big change of tactics or a few hours to wear him down, she was keeping him pinned. And with Tela and Live Wire - not to mention Polarity and Spark - out cold; Quislet less than reliable; and Dragonmage hovering there, threatening to intervene at any moment, he needed to get this over with.
As for Quislet, every time he entered something, he found it immediately ripped, slashed or smashed by Reflecto and it was beginning to hurt. "Hey, friend, why..."
He was interrupted by Reflecto grabbing his ship, bouncing it like a basketball and throwing it into the corner of the room. He dropped, out cold.
Reflecto then looked around with the pest finally silenced. Something had shifted in his head with the telepathic explosion, and he no longer felt the need to hang around.
"Later" he shouted at Cos & walked out.
Cos was barely cognisant of this though, as he concentrated on pushing Inferno's flame back magnetically. He didn't have the time to "play" with her any more, and he noted her shock at the fact that he COULD force her back.
"Come on, give in..." he muttered, hoping that the shock would make her drop the flame. When she finally did, he was almost on top of her and he almost ran straight by her as the heat holding him back suddenly dissipated. The surface hadn't been burning, just the pure jet of flame, and he just managed to catch her and knock her out in one move rather than present an unprotected back to her.
He sighed as he lowered her down and looked up, expecting Dragonmage to promptly turn him into a hamster. But, instead, he was gone; and one of his dragons floated down, vanishing as he touched it. ______________
The fight had been raging for over an hour now. Initially, Tom had held the Hulk off the ground to keep him from hitting anyone, but as he got angrier, he'd seemed to get heavier, and the strain had got too much.
After that, Nori and Drake had kept him busy by speeding past and catching him with a blast from an angle, annoying him and stopping him from actually hitting them, while Shifter and Sul had climbed over him to much the same effect. None of them could seemingly make a dent, however, and as they tired and the Hulk got angrier, their position got ever worse, while Lyle, Igor and, after his earlier exertions, Tom, felt useless. Only Dreamer seemed to remain calm, possessed of a manic certainty that something would come along just in time. ______________
T-Neutral made it over to the wall and pulled the panel open - a small escape chute was there. She signalled to her sisters and they remerged at her location rather than fight their way over through the ever-increasing mass of bodies. Before she could make it down the chute, however, Tikhik beat her too it, teleporting to the entrance and straight down. She followed a moment later.
As soon as she hit the bottom and saw the McCauley standing there, she knew it was the real one.
"Fragments. Useful, but not quite as I intended. Ah well..." she saw his eyes start to glow, and began to move, but too slow, just too slow... "...no matter," he said as he knocked her out.
"Now, you..."
"One step and I cut your hand off." Tikhik said, his eyes piercing in their blankness.
"Why, my dear insect, you forget, I know what you are capable of." McCauley took a measured step forward. "You were tested and retested psychologically. You really caused me no end of worry, escaping as you did, and I studied those reports. You're not capable of such a thing. I know it, and you know it."
Suddenly, he applied a burst of speed Tikhik hadn't known he possessed and had his hand around Tikhik's throat."
"No teleporting now. No worrying over who you might tell. It's done. YOU are done."
Then, there was an explosion of rubble.
And Andromeda stood there, silent as death, eyes glowing through the rubble.
McCauley panicked, dropped Tikhik and let loose his eyebeams. When they had no effect, he stamped and more "fragments" were created, adding their force to his. More and more and still no effect as she walked, at normal speed toward him and grabbed his throat the way he had held Tikhik only moments before.
Tikhik coughed and looked up. McCauley - his torturer, the man who had almost killed him seconds before - was himself seconds away from dying even as tears and energy streaked from his executioner's eyes. All he had to do was stand by and let it happen. Trinity was unconscious, no-one else was there, all he had to was... All he had to... stand by and let... tears. Tears and death. No...
"Stop."
Andromeda, caught off-guard by the presence of another, looked around; "Why should I?" she yelled at him, keeping a tight grip on McCauley's throat even as her tears flowed yet more freely. "He played with my head, treated me like a toy, made me do... things I didn't want to do. I even KILLED because of him. Because of him I'm a murderer. Why shouldn't I add one to my total, when he deserves it?"
"Because," Gates said, "you sound as if you can barely live with yourself after killing once, and then to save your teammate. How will you live with yourself tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, if you killed like this, in vengeance? I've been there - I wished I was dead when I awoke like this, with everyone I knew dead, and for a long time only the thought of exposing him kept me going, then a good friend pulled me back from the edge. You don't want to feel like you have nothing to live for."
He didn't know what he was talking about, she thought as she raised her fist. How could he know. What was one little insect? One punch and that would be it. Just like the guy before. Just like... so much blood... so much blood.... He deserved to die...
Her fist connected with McCauley's head. ______________
It was done, Cos reflected. He should go after Reflecto, he knew, but with three teammates and the same number of Workforce members out cold, he couldn't leave them. What if Paul woke up and killed Garth under his programming? No, he couldn't risk a death on either side. For the sake of both sides. ______________
From the diary of Laurel Gander:
I couldn't do it.
I had him there, nothing and no-one could have stopped me if I'd hit him hard enough to kill him. If I hadn't been teleported out the day before I would have. But Gates was right, and I knew it. If I had, I'd probably have ended up killing myself. Even after I found out the full extent of what McCauley had done.
So, I pulled my punch, and he dropped, and his "fragments" disappeared as he did. I didn't know what to do. Probably a good thing that, as my focus slipped, my super-hearing kicked in and I heard what I did though... ______________
It had had to happen eventually, as they tired and the Hulk did not. While Drake and Nori lined up for another pass, they were too slow just that once, and the Hulk's hands met over his head, generating a devastating shockwave that knocked everyone else off their feet.
As Drake began to pick himself up, the Hulk stood on him, to no apparent harm, but keeping him pinned face-down. He then raised his foot to stomp on Nori. "Stupid blue girl. Kept running past Hulk, stinging Hulk, annoying Hulk. Now Hulk will sting blue girl. Hulk will smash blue girl..."
Before he could make good on his threat though, a streak came through the floor and hit the Hulk, who crashed through the ceiling and on for miles.
Nori, still winded, then looked up and saw Andromeda sitting on the edge of the crater, head in her hands. Picking herself up and checking to see that everyone else was doing the same, she put her hand around Laurel's shoulder and squeezed.
Posted by Reboot on :
Laurel sat in a chair in front of the mirror in her room straightening her hair.
So that was it. Over. Bad guy beaten, the place on the Legion she'd been aiming for when the whole mess started was open for her, the good guys won, All Was Right With The World.
Except, of course, it wasn't. __________
He knocked on the door.
"Ella, you there?"
Spark gave a loud grunt.
Live Wire took that as a yes, opened the door, and walked in to find her on the floor, in T-shirt and shorts, doing push-ups. She looked absolutely spent.
"How long?"
"Push-ups-or-over-all?" she asked, pronouncing each syllable as she reached the top of a push.
"Both."
"’Bout fifteen minutes for the push-ups, three hours total," she said, in the same gasping voice.
"You’re exhausted."
"You asking or saying?"
"Saying. Look at yourself." He put his hand on her back and pushed her to the floor to stop her. Annoyed, she turned around and sat up, sweat dripping from her forehead. "You need a rest - you need sleep."
Instead of replying straight away, Ella stood up and walked over to a punching bag in the corner. Garth preferred to just blame Kinetix for all the exercise equipment scattered around the room rather than asking where she got it all.
Ella started giving the ’bag huge whacks. "Do you know what I see when I stop?"
Garth had a treble-sized suspicion. "No."
"I see me, trying to kill people I counted as friends, while begging them to stop me. I see months of my life I spent mind-controlled, I..." at that moment, Ella punched the bag so hard, she split the skin over her knuckle. Blood and electricity spurting from the cut, she finally collapsed in a heap.
Garth walked over and sat on the floor beside her, close enough for him to hug his twin sister if she wanted, far enough that he wasn’t impinging if she didn’t. "Ella, it wasn’t your fault. Whatever happens, remember that."
"No, it’s yours."
Garth winced. He’d expected this at first, but let his guard down after the way the conversation started.
"I know it’s not my fault Garth", she said, sounding tired but no longer gasping for breath, "If I’m honest it’s probably not yours either. But if you’d taken me with you, I wouldn’t have been there to get caught the way I did. It doesn’t matter now though. It just leaves me feeling so..." the cut on her knuckle stopped sparking, "so drained."
Garth took her hand and started feeding her power. He forced a smile. "Puts you in the better half so far. One guy went insane when Irma woke him up once she was done - started spinning like mad and destroying everything in sight. Real devil. Then there’s this purple girl..."
"Clarice."
"Huh?"
"Her name’s Clarice. Elf ears, pink marks on her face, blank eyes, Scottish accent?"
"Yeah."
"I met her a couple of times - not often, just, y’know, she was a teleporter and when we needed to be somewhere really quick she got called, and I never got much of a chance to talk. She was nice. Really shy though."
"She’s worse now. According to Irma she’d figured out about the mind-control when she was teleporting Lorna around, and she couldn’t let her go even when Lorna begged her. Knowing about it but not being able to break free’s been tearing her up ever since, and she’s practically shut down."
"I should probably go and see her... How’s Paul and Laurel?"
"Paul’s... adjusting. Apparently, Laurel’s not sticking around."
Spark looked up at him. "Huh - why not?"
"I don’t know, I just overheard someone on the way up here."
Spark tried to stand up. Garth stopped her "Not until you’ve had some..."
"Garth, cut the overprotective brother crap - that’s what got me into the mess in the first place. She’s three rooms down the corridor, not a million miles by land sea and air, which she probably will be by tomorrow if she’s going." ____________
Blink. The Taj Mahal.
Blink. The Eiffel Tower.
Blink. The Statue of Liberty.
Blink. A tiny island in the middle of the ocean.
Blink, blink, blink. Clarice could go anywhere. Via a spear, a portal, even a simple blink.
And yet she lay there, in bed, unmoving.
"They won't let me, and unless I'm told to…". The words lancing through her mind made her sit up, hugging her legs for something to do with her arms.
'Only following orders' was no excuse, and she knew it. If you realise you've been brainwashed, she reasoned, you should be able to break free. Andromeda had. Why couldn't she? And the screams she'd heard Trinity give later... she couldn't face her. She wanted to say sorry, but it was such a small word for so much pain... all the pain she'd caused... ____________
"Come in." Spark heard Andromeda call - before she'd knocked. She shrugged and entered.
"You look... different." were the first words she said on entering.
"I'm not done yet - I need to look different, and changing colour's out of the question."
"You can straighten but not dye?"
"They work differently." Laurel shrugged. "Can you plait hair?"
"I think so - haven't done it for years. I'll give it a shot if you want."
"Please."
"Kay."
Ella pulled up a chair behind Laurel's at the mirror, and started to bunch her hair up.
"Garth said he heard you're leaving. Is it true?"
"Early tomorrow."
"Where to?"
"Away. Just... away. Possibly up."
"Space?!"
"I don't know if I can do it, but I don't need to eat, or breathe much, since I just... soak up light. I want to.. I don't want to be around people for a while, after... that."
"I know the feeling."
"What are you doing? Are you going to stay here?"
"Yeah and no. I've kind of taken up their membership offer."
"Now in English, please."
"Long-term, I'll probably be here. Garth's not leaving any time soon, and I want to feel like a twin again. Right now, I need to see my mum and dad - I haven't spoken to them since I was... uh... taken, and I don't want to know what they think of me vanishing."
"And between 'right now' and 'long-term'?"
"Remember me moaning about Mark?"
"It's not as if I could forget."
"Garth left me behind in the first place, while I was still weak, to go looking for him. Then he ended up here, and I got stuffed in a glass tube and brainwashed into signing a long-term contract - which, at least, they've realised it would be a waste of time and more bad PR to go to court over. SO nice of them... anyway, he doesn't know it yet, but we're going to finish the job."
Laurel just raised an eyebrow in the mirror.
"Yeah, I know. He's still guilty about the whole mess though - and so he should be. So, now I'm free - literally - and it couldn't wait a week six months ago - and he DID have a point about Mark, I never trusted him either, that's how we ended up as the electric twins, because we followed him so the three of us got zapped - we're going to finish the job the way we should have started it," Ella said just as she finished the last twist, securing it with a band. She stood back, and Laurel shook her head to make sure it was in firmly.
"Well," she turned round to face Spark, Good luck."
"You too," then the two hugged.
"One thing if you're going to be out," Laurel said.
"Yeah?"
"Have they mentioned about the big green monster they were fighting."
"The 'Hulk'? Yeah, just in passing though, why.
"After Gates talked me out of killing you-know-who, I heard the fight, and just let loose, knocking him what must have been miles - but once things were vaguely under control there, someone went out and found where he landed. And he wasn't there."
"Weird. Still, big country."
"True, but I still wouldn't like a proper fight with him if he could get up and walk away after that hit I gave him, so just be careful if it's just you and Garth, especially if he knows Garth, okay?"
"Since when am I ever careful?" Ella actually managed a smile, a real smile, at that, before walking out. ____________
One week earlier:
"Wha... huh?"
The man found himself in ripped trousers, lying in a lopsided crater in the hardbaked soil, and briefly wondered how he'd got there. Then he realised what the rumbling that had woken him up was and stood up, waving.
Fortunately, the truck driver hadn't yet passed, and even more fortunately, he stopped.
"Geez man, what the hell is up with you."
"Please, I was stopped, mugged - and they stole my car. Could you give me a lift to the nearest town."
The truck driver's slow, amphetamine-stacked brain rolled around for a few minutes, then said, "Sure, what the hell."
He climbed up and into the cab, wincing at the smell.
"What's yer name anyway, boy?"
"Uh... Banner, Bruce Banner."
Posted by Reboot on :
In the pink light of early morning, Andromeda lifted off, leaving Legions, Workforces... and perhaps Earth for a while... behind. She didn't regret it, and didn't expect to.
More fighting was the last thing she wanted or needed now, or ever again. ____________
Paul reached the roof of the Legion skyscraper to take in the mid-morning view of NYC. He'd never been there before - save Hallowe'en night, and it had been dark before they arrived then. As he pushed the door open at the top of the stairs though, he got a surprise - Ella was standing at the edge, in an uncharacteristic, flowing white dress.
He stood there frozen for a moment, then felt an urge to turn back before he looked at her any longer. But she chose that moment to turn around, see him, and wave, whereupon he found himself instead walking over towards her.
"Hi", she greeted him.
"Uh, hi," was his awkward reply, followed by "nice dress."
"Oh - this? Zoë set me up with it, since most of my clothes are still tied up in that mess. And I mean 'set me up' - I didn't know what I was getting until she was already flying away, giggling."
"You look... great."
"Paul,..."
"I know, I know, you..."
"No, wait. You've been mostly avoiding me since Hallowe'en, apart from that fight about Meta and you crying about your gran's illness - until Meta turned up - and I don't want to leave while things are like that between us, and you're here..."
"Leave?"
"I'm going home for a while, then me and Garth have a family thing to take care of. I'll tell you later if you want, but that's not the point right now. Just stand and listen for a moment, I'll keep it short - I miss having you as a friend. Up until Hallowe'en, you were my best friend, and I wasn't trying to hurt you, I was being honest - if I'd lied, it would have been worse, you know it would have. I *do* love you - but AS a friend. And when I said you were nuts to see Meta, I said it because I was worried about you. I knew her, and I thought you did, and after seeing what she did to José, I didn't want her within a million miles of any friend of mine, especially you." She took a deep breath. "You can talk now."
He opened his mouth to say something, nothing came out, and he shut it again. As far as he could tell, she hadn't said anything new. But he didn't want to leave things on bad terms any more than she did. He wanted her as a friend, but... But she...
He sighed, accepting - as best he could, at any rate - that friendship was all he could ever have with her, putting his arms around her, and giving her the same type of platonic hug she'd given him on Hallowe'en. She gratefully replied in kind - but couldn't see the single tear running out of his right eye. ______________
Tom had just sat down to lunch in the Legion's cafeteria when a familiar green portal opened beside him.
"Hi Tik."
Tikhik's beak was twisted in annoyance, however. "I've been called 'Gates' by at least five different people in the past hour. Do you know anything about this?"
"Sure," Tom shrugged and swallowed his bite of sausage, "everybody and their dog's got a codename around here, and if you're going to be sticking around..."
"I'm not."
At that, Tom nearly choked on his orange juice. Once he'd finished coughing, he spluttered "Wha... weren't you offered a shot with the Legion? Me and Igor are taking ours up, I don't know about the girls yet - I haven't seen them, and I think Nori's got some tests about her powers so she might not have been, but I'm sure Sul'll have an invite. Why not?"
"Yes, Nori's to see the [English-Russian: scientists] at three pm. But as for me, Tom, I've told you I don't know how many times, I'm not interested in fighting others so the streets run red. I stopped Laurel from killing McCauley, and you know how I feel about him. I couldn't even stand by, let alone physically injure him - any of him - myself."
"But... its' not as if they just go round beating people up. Besides, if you don't, what are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure. I won't leave immediately, and there's talk of a school linked to this, dedicated to teaching safety of powers rather than fighting. I may see if I can become involved with that. I can't... you know what, though."
"Well, I guess... I mean, I'm going to miss you."
"I doubt I'll be so far away. But, "Tom. Good luck with the Legion - I mean it."
"Yeah - same to you." ____________
Irma pulled her white coat back on after lunch and let out a huge sigh before rubbing her eyes. As the only telepath for a hundred miles, and quite literally the only officially-sanctioned telepath in the world as far as she knew, she was the one who had to deep-scan somewhere just south of a hundred brains - that they knew of at that moment - and attempt to unpick any brainwashing-damage she found.
It was absolutely exhausting. After being holed up in the McCauley building which incorporated the now-former Workforce HQ for a week, she'd found she could do the 'virus scan' in about an hour, but if she found anything, then she could write off at least half a day. Then again, after doing Spark (with Live Wire watching closely the whole time) for the whole first day, and Polarity (with Cos looking on) the second, half a day was still an improvement, she reflected as she walked down the makeshift ward.
The afternoon's batch of stasis pods were coming out of the elevator as she reached the far end of the ward. She'd only started on them late the previous day, but at least most of them so far seemed 'clean' - which was a good sign, since it meant she might be able to get through them in a week or so if it meant all of them hadn't been through it yet. They hadn't opened the pods en masse, since, even 'clean', it might have caused a mad panic, and if they hadn't been,... it didn't bear thinking about.
She sat at the bedside of the first girl of the afternoon - around 14-15, with glowing yellow wings, dark hair, a black tattoo over her right eye and skin a similar colour to Nura's, she took in quickly - put her hands on her head - not strictly necessary, but it helped the connection a bit - and began scanning... ____________
Nori's nose was twitching, Igor noted. Not a good sign.
Then again, she WAS strung up, spread-eagled, in what bore a distinct resemblance to a fairground ride-in gyroscope, so her being annoyed wasn't surprising.
He'd been brought in for questioning, since it was his tech-collar that had allowed him to function, but now they seemed to have turned him out. He asked Dox what that was about and received a mumbled answer in which he could just about make out the words "sphere" "equidistant" and "electric field". Gave him some idea of what was going on, at least, he thought, as he decided he'd rather be somewhere else, and went to find out where that was... ____________
For Nori, however, that was just the start of a long day of testing. Once they'd finished with scanning her standing, or being held, still; they moved on to testing her ability to deliver controlled charges, and her ultimate speed in various tests of dexterity, bringing in Live Wire and Flash to provide baselines.
Several hours later, having run the last of the scheduled tests and collated the data, Dox declared "Essentially, we have to agree with Igor's earlier diagnosis - there are no fundamental problems with the way Noriko's power works, so the only factor which can be at play is inexperience."
"So you've had me strung up, spun around, poked and prodded for four hours so you could tell me something I already knew. Great." She picked at her collar, "This thing's use-by date is a month away, and when it gives out thinking straight won't be an option. So what you're saying is I've got a month to learn or live in a cave for the rest of my life?"
"Well... yes and no," Invisible Kid said.
"Meaning?"
Lyle sighed and continued, "We might be able to create something to slow the rate you "drink" electricity, so you'd be able to discharge and stay at a safe level of charge, and also not knock out power systems..."
"You asked for a big discharge...." Nori mumbled under her breath.
"...but if we could, they'd probably be heavy and uncomfortable - even if Igor didn't think it might cause too much scarring, we don't have the technology to link to your brain the way his collar does. If you can, your best bet is to learn before it gives out, enough to hold back the absorption anyway."
Nori muttered "Great" in Japanese and walked out. _____________
"How'd it go?" Sul looked up from the book she was reading as Nori walked into their shared room an hour and a half later.
"Perfect - they say there's nothing they can do, except give me big and heavy versions of this." Nori picked at her collar again.
"Ah," Sul sighed, and before she could say anything more, she saw Nori was on the move and shut her eyes as she zipped to the fridge, got a glass of milk, got changed into the pink T-shirt and boxers she wore at night, brushed her teeth and ruffled her hands through her hair before refilling her glass of milk and slumping onto her bed. Watching her move that fast was... disorientating.
"What are you reading?" Nori said, more of idle curiosity than anything else as she sipped at the second glass of milk.
Sul held up the book, entitled 'Complete Mathematics IV'.
"Light reading, huh?"
"Didn't you hear President Luthor's announcement this afternoon?"
"Four and a half hours getting poked, prodded and generally being treated like a lab rat, remember?"
"I still thought you might have heard, no need to bite my head off. Basically, they're setting up an Academy linked to the Legion, mostly to deal with all the unclaimed kids in the tubes, and I'm enrolling."
"I heard the rumours, none of the Legion-people seem too happy about it - and how come you're enrolling anyway? You're as in-control as anyone on the Legion."
"Ta, but it's not about that. When my parents died, I had to get a job quick if I didn't want to end up on the streets or worse, and that didn't leave any time for school. They're doing normal classes too, and I want to finish school while I've got the chance."
Nori lay back and thought for a few moments. She HAD lived on the streets - for years, in an electric stupor. And if she didn't want to end up back in that stupor, she apparently needed heavy training. And, of course, that hadn't left any time for school for her either...
She sighed and asked Sul what she knew about signing up.
Posted by Reboot on :
Leviathan fumed quietly across the desk from Cos. He'd opened his mouth to speak at least three times now and bitten it off every time.
It was tough on him, Cos reflected. If there had been nothing, Cos and his team would have been in a level of super-powered doo-doo unheard of in the history of doo-doo. But with the sheer evidence of well over fifty falsely imprisoned metahumans - mostly teens, some really quite young - even if Tela's testimony was ruled inadmissible in the end there was little possibility of anything worse than an admonishment for them. And that bit, especially since they'd dropped Gene off on the way there.
So Cos sat and enjoyed the unintentional comedy show that the weekly "strategy meeting" Gene had implemented between the co-leaders had become. Heaven knew, between Lorna and Paul in particular and the whole mess in general - not to mention the still-recent problems of his and Paul's gran - he needed something to help him relax. ____________
At that moment, Trinity was lying silently, split into three, on her king-size bed in her room - but this didn't last long, before she picked herselves up and looked at each other. Something had been preying on her mind for days now, and she had to confront it sometime. T-Orange was the first to break the silence.
"We promised Cos we would stick together."
T-Purple was the one who responded; "We didn't - we said no-one would ever catch us out again. And are you saying we weren't up to it? And what if Enrapture had gone down and picked someone off from a distance while the Hulk was about to cave their heads in?"
"But we didn't know that, and that wasn't why you ran away. We saw him and you ran after him without thinking. As usual."
"As if she couldn't have grabbed us back if you two were that strongly opposed. You wanted to do the same thing - you are me. It's not as if I say black and you say white. You want to say black, I'm just the one who actually does it."
"Why...."
T-Neutral broke in. "Just... just shut up for a minute." She was getting a headache and feeling the headaches the other two were developing on top of that.
«Look, » T-Purple started 'talking' through their link rather than aloud; «Let's break this down:
One - Yeah, we pushed our luck. But if we hadn't, besides the Enrapture thing, would Gates have cottoned onto the fact that they weren't the real McCauleys on his own, and found the way down? No. So Andromeda would have just massacred McCauley and probably lopped her own head off or something. And can you imagine what would have happened if that had happened while we were on the premises, against orders?
Two - "betraying" Cos. Maybe, but I don't think we did and that means neither do you. And you know how he feels about us, and we know how we feel about him. He won't hold it against us, and obsessing and avoiding him worrying how he'll take it will just make all of us lose sleep, him included.
Three - We need a break. Even if we don't get suspended - and I don't think Gene can since it wasn't an official mission and he's not suspending all of us since it was a success - we need out of here for a while or we'll spend months trying to avoid dealing with all this crap. Again. Disagree?»
T-Orange and T-Neutral just looked at each other. ____________
Cos was sitting in his office when the door was knocked. He called to whoever it was to come in, leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Hi Cos."
Cos opened his eyes with a start on hearing Trinity's voice. She kept on standing, and he almost swore he saw her purple eye flash orange for a moment. His bewilderment only lasted seconds, however, before he calmed himself, said "Hi Lu" and gestured for her to sit down.
"Listen Cos - about running off..." her voice tailed off as she realised she wasn't quite sure what to say.
"It hurt Lu. When I turned round and saw you weren't there, I wasn't sure if you'd gone off or been captured again, and I nearly turned the whole group around to look for you, until Lyle talked me down. And I know we weren't 'official', so I couldn't exactly order you about, but you said..."
"I know what I said..." Trinity said in a quiet voice, "but I only had a split second. If I'd left him, he might have teleported at any minute. If I'd stopped to tell you, either we'd have had a debate and he might have got away, or you'd have said no, and he would have got away, and either way what Lyle had found was important as well." She spoke up a bit more, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but if I'd known then what I know now about Enrapture, Andromeda, Hulk, etcetera, I'd have done exactly the same thing."
At that, Cos broke out in a broad grin, catching Lorna off-guard, which showed on her face and led to a "Wha...?" of confusion on her part.
"Nothing - no, that's not true. I'm just glad that you're starting to sound more like yourself again. Lying in bed all day, scared to face the world - that wasn't you, that was McCauley and Enrapture."
Lorna raised a "you know?" eyebrow at the second part, but before he could reply in any sense, Cos' watch started bleeping an alarm. "What is it?" she asked as he hit a button on it to stop the bleeping.
"Something Brainy rigged up for me - If the team's in the news during the day, I get a signal telling me to tune in. " he looked at the watch again, "and it looks like we're on all the news channels. I'll try CNN..." He pressed another button on his watch, and the screensaver on his computer was replaced by a picture of President Luthor speaking in front of the UN, with General Secretary Chu and various other world leaders around him. The scrolling text at the bottom read "...NOUNCES PLAN FOR SUPER-POWERS ACADEMY TIED TO LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES IN NEW YORK STATE..."
Trinity looked a 'did you know' question at Cos and got a shake of the head and a frown in return. Luthor was clearly nearing the end of his speech, and was talking about the need for 'all moderate peoples' to 'welcome the chance for all super-powered children everywhere to have a place where they can learn safety and control."
"Bet it ends up being 90% American," Trinity snorted, and in response to Cos' look said, "what - it's not as if THIS team isn't!"
Cos just sighed and rubbed his eyes, then said, "I knew Luthor was going to be trouble - I know he 'exonerated' himself of the Putumayo thing, but that's worth as much as a pair of dingo's kidneys and we know it. Keeping us out of the loop when they stick our name on something though... even if we're not tied up in it directly. This is going to be stressful..."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Irma can wangle some sort of veto on the teachers by hook or by crook. Hell, all those kids she's driving herself nuts scanning now are probably intended to be the pupil. And they'll want to make sure the teachers and pupils are all 'part of the solution, not the problem' in the whole 'War on Terror' crap, and there's the hook. Like I say, it'll work out."
"Hope you're right. I'm going to have to go and check on all this fershenlugger crap with Gene now though."
"Before you got then, I had something else I wanted to ask you about - I'm feeling better, but I'm still not really fit for duty if I'm going to be honest, and I should have taken your advice about a break ages back. So I was going to take a break now, if that's okay with you and I don't have to admit what I just said to Mr Big Man."
"You're not still... I mean, I know what I said, but..."
"Irma's scanned me at least three times now. I'm clean."
"Promise?"
"Don't worry Cos - we... sorry, I just need some time alone after everything. The surgery went well, but I need some proper post-op recovery," she smiled, albeit slightly hollowly, "I'll be back in a month or so."
"Where will you go?"
"My gran's old house - technically, I own it, since R.J. paid off the mortgage for me, and someone's looked in on it every now and then to make sure it's intact, etc."
"You'll be okay?"
"Don't worry about us Cos -" she split and T-Purple finished the sentence, "- we're tougher than we look right now," as the three of them put their arms around their shoulders.
"Well... take care, alright. I'll clear it with Gene for you."
"We will," and with that, T-Purple grabbed him and planted a huge kiss on his lips, while T-Neutral whispered in his ear, "Just don't forget us while we're gone" with a smile.
After the kiss was broken, T-Purple maintained eye contact for a moment, before vanishing. Trinity then took his hand to walk out the door, where they kissed again, more tenderly, before heading in opposite directions.
An hour later, she threw her bag over her shoulder, put a pair of sunglasses on, waved to Cos and got in the elevator. As soon as the doors closed though, she slumped against the back of the lift, suddenly tired at leaving, even if only for a few weeks, after holding herself there so long through everything. __________________
Half an hour in the helicopter was all it took from Legion HQ to her home town of Carrigan, so less than two hours after leaving Cos Lorna was walking down her old street, nearly four years to the day since she'd left, crying and panicking on hearing of her gran's death. The young woman walking down the street was very different from the girl who'd left, but while the reasons changed, the past three months had taken a huge toll on her - after the three months before that had been the happiest of her life.
She noted as she went how nothing had seemingly changed, the same peeling paintwork on the town hall, the same charity appeals stuck in the same places. No-one noticed her as she walked - while her identity was not strictly secret, the Legion's promotional material tended to only use their codenames, and in any event, out of costume and with her differently-coloured eyes concealed behind shades, she didn't draw much attention with her brown pageboy's hair and casual clothes.
Finally, she reached 12 Vermont Street and took a moment to look. The garden was the sort of overgrown that you could just about get away with - the grass was scruffy, and there were a few weeds, but it clearly hadn't gone completely unattended the past few years - presumably, R.J. had arranged for this to be done while people checked the house and stayed in it for a few days every now and then to make it clear it hadn't been completely abandoned. The door was different too - the dark blue paint had given way to bare wood and varnish, presumably as something else requiring less maintenance. The same key fitted the lock, however, and she went inside.
As soon as she was out of sight, before she could even take notice of the surroundings, she split with a sigh of relief. When she was tense, keeping integrated was tricky, and "tense" was the least of what she felt right then. Three pairs of eyes looked around the dusty, musty front room. It wasn't precisely as she'd left it that day, but it wasn't far off. T-Orange pulled off her sunglasses and began to cry at the thought of her gran dying without her there, and as T-Neutral tried to comfort herself, she started crying too, while T-Purple tried to hold back the tears and succeeded only in giving herself another headache.
They knew they had to deal with their issues, including the one they'd run away from four years earlier, but it still hurt.
Posted by Reboot on :
Trinity sighed as she sat with her mug of hot cocoa.
It was a few hours after her arrival. Since then - after she'd got over the shock of arrival - she'd dusted the place, unpacked her clothes, ordered pizza (chicken and pineapple) and picked up bread, milk, jam and cocoa powder.
Often it was the little things that having three of you helped with. With one of her, she'd have been lucky to get the pizza in the way she'd been feeling when she got in - a tripartite personality meant a sort of self-competition that had often got her going in the past, until McCauley's tampering had knocked the three of her into a funk. Maybe Cos was right, she thought. Maybe she was getting better after all the help she'd got from Irma, especially, but also Cos and R.J. And getting to confront McCauley.
Maybe, she smiled. ___________
As her last "patient" for the day was wheeled off to the recovery room to be woken up in calm circumstances, with a psychologist in attendance, Irma collapsed back into her seat, exhausted. Lots down, lots to go, she reflected as she thought about standing up. No, better to sit back and relax for a couple of minutes before moving, she thought...
Two hours later, she was startled awake by a kiss on her cheek, followed by the sound of laughter from her boyfriend as she flailed about, trying to pretend she hadn't been asleep.
"Garth... you startled me," She put a hand on her collarbone and breathed, before remembering to give Livewire an angry glare, which only brought more laughter.
"They said you were still here, so I thought I'd fly over and bring you home." His smile finally faded as he looked past her faux-anger and saw just how tired she was. "You look like you've had a rough day."
"It's getting to be routine - all the stasis ones seem to be programming-free. I just have to make sure." Her shoulders slumped slightly, "It's just a lot of work."
Abruptly, Garth spun her chair round and began massaging her shoulders. "I thought you still had one Workforcer to go."
"Inferno?" She sighed still louder and rolled her head. "I don't know what to do about her. I took one look and had her put straight back in a tube while I thought about it."
"What's so different from the others?"
"With the others, the programming was something I could cut out, with time and effort. With her, it's virtually holding her mind together.
"Worse than that elf girl you mentioned?"
"Yeah, Clarice was bad enough, but Inferno's worse - the traumatic memories have been blocked completely and the power control's all tied in with it. If I tear the blocks down..."
"Could you leave the blocks and just take the 'Must Obey McCauley' bits?"
"Probably, if I'm careful - but should I? I don't have the right to hide something like that, do I?"
Garth gave her shoulders a squeeze, and replied, "It's not a decision you have to make on your own, okay? Tomorrow, stay at HQ for the day, and I'll grab Brande, Cos, maybe a couple of others and we'll have a talk about it. These guys have had months on ice, one more day won't hurt." He bent down so she could see his face and smirked. "You take too much of this on yourself, you realise?"
"I know, I know." ______
You could have fought. You certainly could have won. But now you realise, too late Jin Xiong ao, that indenturing yourself and your undoubted talents - regardless of whether you leave yourself an "exit" or not as you did against the technological attempt to control you - is pointless.
You did not require the aid you claimed as recompense for the indenturation - and if you wished to learn the minds of such as McCauley, they are not complicated.
So now you fly, "lesson learned", towards the home you can never be permitted to re-enter. You were told this as you begged to be allowed to be allowed to leave on the grounds you were not required to continue the Line. Ever after convincing us of your redundancy, however, you counted on our clemency if you ever wished to return.
You chose... poorly. Even if we had the desire to repeal your exile, to the south and to the west, the Dark Lord Mordru, quiet for Ages, rises at the rejection of his daughters, and we dare not open ourselves to him, for even a moment.
And so you arrive to the appearance that we are not and never have been here, and we watch your frustration from behind our cloak. Yet there is nothing to be done, and what you do from now until the day you die is no concern of ours.
Goodbye "Dragonmage. " ___________
"And how much is the BIG gun?"
"Excuse me buddy, but you still haven't answered whether you have a licence or not."
Reflecto punched him straight in the kisser. Not that he would be doing any kissing for a while.
"Self-service. Huh? Cool." ___________
Mano wanted to punch the air with joy at McCauley's fall, as his teammates watched the TV with barely-disguised shock. However, practical considerations stayed his hand. Firstly and foremostly, his programming was still in place, so he couldn't; and secondly, he had three dangerous fellow-victims in the room with him.
So, instead of punching the air he thought, hard, about what he was going to do. Rescuing McCauley was out of the question, and fortunately, he could see a way to justify that within his programming - he and his team had been ordered to avoid public association with McCauley or McCauley Industries of any sort "at all costs". He could simply take that literally.
Unfortunately, that didn't leave many other options. Towards the goal of secrecy "at all costs", they would move safehouses that night, and they would thus "disappear" for some time. They were well-funded through many accounts with no direct connection with McCauley Industries, as they had each been started by a subordinate under false identities with several suitcases of cash - who Mano had himself killed under orders, leaving no body.
Still, while the prospect of being holed up until a way out appeared didn't appeal to Mano, anything was better than serving the fallen tyrant... ___________
"And there we are. Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Perhaps sir, Mr Reflecto, but just one minor point."
"Yes?"
"If you wish to become a mercenary, perhaps losing the mirrored suit might be an idea, hmmm?"
"...I'll think about it." ___________
"So, let me get this straight. We. Do. Nothing?"
"You have a better idea, Micro?"
"We bust into prison, get the Big Boss out and..."
"And then what?" Mano sighed. "We would have broken Rule One - don't publically associate ourselves with McCauley or his company - and Rule Two - don't go public unless ordered to. Wrong?"
"No..." Micro muttered, "but..."
"Wolf, Tellus - wrong?" Wolf shook his head nervously, Tellus merely shrugged. "So we move, as this safehouse may be compromised, and wait for further instructions."
"And if they never come?"
"We deal with that wh...if it comes up. Now come."
"Something stinks about this," Micro muttered as he followed behind... ___________
Leonard McCauley sat in his gaol cell, lined with McCauley Industries-brand power inhibitors. His lawyers had warned him that it would be along and costly fight for his freedom with little chance of success.
He had promptly fired them and hired some competent lawyers.
Still, the outlook was bleak.
Suddenly, a ghostly image of his father appeared before him.
"Father." He acknowledged the apparition without a hint of surprise.
"Leonard" His father, tight-lipped, returned the greeting.
"How did you get to Heather before the police?"
"There are ways. You used to know them."
"Perhaps." He sat back on the thin mattress of the bed.
"You know why I'm here."
"To complain of my 'utter shambles', I suppose?"
"More than that. You have disgraced the family name, the family business and your trial threatens further disgrace."
Leonard sat up straight, but didn't protest. He knew it would be useless.
"Goodbye Leonard." The apparition faded, and the screaming began...
Fin
[ December 11, 2011, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
There was a knock at the door. On hearing it, Dr Ryker sat up and looked at the clock, which showed it was a couple of minutes past the hour. She glanced at her appointment book before walking over and opening the door to reveal a young woman with short red hair in a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
"Hi... Eileen, isn't it?"
"No, Ella. Or Spark, I guess."
"Ella it is, then." Dr Ryker smiled at her, then added, "Come over and sit down," and led her over to two armchairs by the window, with a small table off to the side of them with a box of tissues on it.
They sat there for a minute, time enough for Ryker to note her contradictory body language, which didn't seem sure about whether she wanted to open up or shut down.
"So, why did you come here today then, Ella?"
"I... they insisted on it - the Legion. If I want to join after the stuff that happened, I apparently 'need to get some therapy', and this seemed like the least-bad option. I take it you know what happened?"
"I know the basic outline, but I'd like to hear it from your perspective. One question first though - if I'm the 'least-bad option'," the Doctor smiled, "what were the others?"
"Well, it was really this or see if Tela could help me, telepathically, I guess?"
"I see. So why don't you want to do that?"
She shrugged. "I spent months brainwashed just there, and I still don't know what I did in those months that was 'me' and what was 'it'. Someone poking around in my head, even if they mean well,... it's something it'll take me a while to say 'yes' to, if I ever do."
"But she's already spent time 'poking around in your head', hasn't she - it was her that unpicked the brainwashing program, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, but... that wasn't really something I said 'yes' to, it was something they went ahead and did. And it needed done, I'm glad they did it... but I wasn't in any condition to answer that question. 'It' would probably have stopped me saying yes, whatever I'd have felt about it at the time. And, yeah, I've gone for a couple of checkups, but they're quick and I sit there the whole time thinking 'please be over'. Which apparently makes them last longer, but..."
"But it's not something you enjoy, I understand. So you'd rather just talk about it?"
Ella gave a tight nod, but added "Not right now - not that bit anyway - it's just... just... other stuff sure, but the playing with my head is... it's hard to even think about. I don't think I can talk any more about it just yet, if you understand?"
"It's all right. We can come back to it when you're ready."
Ella sat back in her seat, then rocked forward and put her hands on the back of her head. She stayed there for a moment, then sighed, sat up, rubbed her face and looked at Dr Ryker.
"So," Dr Ryker asked, "what do you want to do with the time we've got today then?"
Ella shrugged.
"What about your parents? Have you seen them since it happened?"
"Yeah..."
"...but?"
"They'd seen the news obviously, and Garth had gone ahead to spell out what really happened when I disappeared to them, but... it was hard. They'd gotten over what they'd thought had happened, but just sitting there, trying to act normal... I wanted to just jump up and run away."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Are you sure? Try this - just sit there for a minute, close your eyes, and just let your mind drift back to what you were feeling at the time..."
Ella sighed, but she followed the instructions. After a minute, she brought her hands up to rub her face, and that continued for a minute or so more.
"I was...I don't know, I'd put them through hell - and part of the way, I'd meant it. I was going to leave, even if I was kidnapped before I made it. And there I was, trying to sit there and pretend none of it had happened, that I'm the same person I was before we all got zapped! It was revolting - I felt embarrassed out of my skin.... every time they looked at me, I felt like Mark."
"Mark?"
"My other brother, the older one. The one that caused this in the first place," Ella answered, holding up her hand, sparks dancing between the fingers.
"If you don't mind, how did that happen? You said something about 'getting zapped'?"
Ella sighed, and stayed quiet for a minute before answering, "Sure, might as well - Garth's probably said before anyway."
"We were on holiday on Nevis last year. It had been a good harvest, and mom & dad had got enough money for a holiday for the first time in years, so they booked a holiday for the start of the year. Anyway, me and Garth were going along. I'm can't remember why Mark came, actually - it might have been that my dad didn't trust him, none of us really trusted him; or it might have just been him pushing."
"You say you didn't trust him. What do you mean by that?"
"He's... I don't know if I should say..."
"Ella, none of the details you give me are going to leave this room without your permission if I can help it."
"You're 'assessing' me, aren't you?"
"Yes, but the report I write is based on the conclusions I reach from what you tell me, and the more you tell me the better I know you, and the more accurate the report I write will be. That doesn't mean I'll be telling secrets - you'll see a copy of the report I send before I send it."
Ella sat back in the chair, leaned her head back and exhaled deeply, before running both hands through her hair and scratching her head. After a moment, she clasped her hands behind her head and pulled it forward and gave the doctor a once-over with her eyes. Then sighed again.
"Mark's a f..." she bit her lower lip and started again, "he's a, oh, bad apple, black sheep, troublemaker, choose your own euphemism. What it means is that he's a thief but no-one's ever proved it."
"Who did he steal from?"
"Oh, me, Garth and dad for a start. Beyond that, I don't know and don't know that I ever wanted to know. You should have heard some of the fights him and dad had, while me and Garth weren't meant to be hearing but couldn't help it. Mark barely even hid it - oh, he covered his tracks well enough most of the time; we never caught him in the act anyway and I'm pretty sure no-one else did; but..."
"But what?"
"But he always had money he couldn't explain - he didn't have a job outside the farm and dad cut his allowance off when money started disappearing. If he was stealing from us, it wasn't as much as he had. And we never dared think what else... anyway, if we didn't trust him, he gave us plenty of reason not to and not much reason TO trust him."
At that, Dr Ryker smiled for a moment.
"What's the smile for?"
"It was your accent. Just for a moment there, it came out. Normally, you don't sound like you're from Kansas - not so you'd notice anyway. Neither does Garth, from the little I've heard of his voice, come to think of it. What's going on there?"
Ella blushed at that.
"Are you embarrassed, is that it?"
She ran her right hand through her hair. "A bit. Maybe." She switched hands, "Then again, my mum's not from Kansas and you can certainly tell to listen to her, so it was never really that strong, and it got weaker when I was in the Workforce and no-one else there was talking in an accent like it. I'm not one of those people, like my mom, who holds an accent no matter where I go, and neither's Garth."
"Anyway, you were saying about Nevis..."
"Yeah - where was I?"
"You were just about to leave, and saying why you didn't know why Mark was going."
"Got it. Well, we made it there okay, and spent a couple of days doing touristy stuff, you know. Then, when mom and dad were off on their own for a while, me & Garth found out Mark had hired a speedboat, and we insisted on going 'cause we didn't trust him to go off on his own."
"He was okay with that?"
"Heh - no way. He was shocked enough at us demanding something from him that he was too flustered to stop us though."
"So what happened?"
"Long story short, he went out further than he had fuel for and we ended up rowing to a tiny island near to where we ended up. Actually, we weren't panicking funnily enough. I don't think I even realised we were stranded for real - it was too big to just "get" in one go. Anyway, we ended up on this island - it was, oh, about the size of two, maybe three blocks here in New York, next step up from a lump of sand and a palm tree - which nearly the whole thing seemed covered in, and we dragged the boat up to the treeline. And when we did that, we noticed these weird shapes in the trees. We looked in, and then it all goes black."
"Do you know anything about what happened after that?"
"Not personally. Apparently, our boat was found with me and Garth lying in it back at Nevis, no sign of Mark. The next day, we were airlifted back to the US, and it was a month and a half later before Garth batted an eyelid. No-one knows anything about what happened with Mark."
"What about you?"
"I was out a week longer than Garth was. By the time I woke up, he'd found out about this," for a second, her eyes flashed white, sparking with electricity, "and he'd at least got the idea of how it worked. When I first saw him afterward, he asked if I could do it too. I tried, but I'd been in a coma for two months until about two hours earlier! All I could manage was this -" she held her right hand up, and a few faint sparks jumped, "- enough to say 'yes', but I was weak. I couldn't even stand up yet..."
"You sound bitter..."
"He laughed. Not a loud, ha-ha-ha noise, just a shudder and a smirk, but I knew him. That REALLY hurt. Not quite as much as what I found when I got home a couple of days later though, when I found out he'd packed his bags. Apparently, he'd decided to go off half-cocked after Mark himself, having decided that he 'obviously' had electrical powers too, and it was too dangerous for weak little me..."
"What happened?"
"He went. Somehow, he talked me into not going straight to mum & dad. I don't know how he got anywhere near as far as Metropolis - I think I'd convinced myself he'd get as far as the station and have to turn back."
"And then?"
"Well, it's fairly public what happened then, isn't it? He got lucky with being in the right place at the right time for Brande, and it all fell into place for him..."
"No, I mean you."
"...oh. Well, I worked on building my strength back up. It was really quiet though with those two gone, and I felt different with this -" she waved her arm, with hand flashing white "- running through me. Eventually, I just about cracked and was halfway to trying to follow Garth when, when..."
"Go on..."
"You know what happened."
"I'd like to hear you tell it all the same."
"I got gassed, caged, thrown on ice for, I don't know, a month or two, painfully reprogrammed - and, believe me, you can't even imagine how much that hurt. Apparently, it fires every nerve ending in your body, and I can believe that - and can't this get left for another day? I know this isn't my only session, and I've been sitting in this chair nearly two hours now."
Dr Ryker looked up at the clock. She was right.
Ella smirked at the look of surprise on her face. "And here I thought the first duty of a therapist was to the clock." She paused as she stood. "Thanks though, I think this did help a bit."
"You're welcome. Take care of yourself, okay, and I'll see you next time."
"Bye".
Posted by Reboot on :
The Nightwatchman, Part 1
Morning:
There was a knock at the door of Shifter's quarters.
"Come in."
"Reed?" Starboy's head poked around the corner of the door.
"I said 'come in' Tom!"
"Just letting you know, we've got to leave in an hour or so. On a mission, I mean, to some place called 'Cathingham'."
"Who's going?" Reed's head flicked up from the book he was leafing through.
"Me, you, Lyle and Igor. Lyle said he was busy 'prepping' and wanted me to let you know."
"Ah. Thanks." Reed went back to flicking through his book.
"What at you looking at, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Not at all. It's just some old photos of mine from before, you know. Back when I was a kid."
"Mind if I look?"
"By all means" Reed held the book out.
Tom looked at a couple, before landing on a group shot. "Who's this?" Reed stretched his head up to look.
"My eleventh birthday party, just me and a few close friends - cousin Ron, Leandra, Lydia, Hugh, Stephen, René, Ralph and Peter."
"What are they all doing now?"
"I don't know much - Ron's the only one I'm still in contact with. I've heard bits and bobs, of course - René joined an advertising agency, Pete was trying to become a vet, Ralph wanted to be a botanist, Lydia's running a charity to do with her skin condition, and there was something else-"
"Skin condition? Did it happen after this was taken?"
"No, all her life - see how pale she is? She couldn't go out in the sun at all - if she did, she got huge blisters all over the exposed area."
"Poor kid...."
"The day that picture was taken, it was the hottest day of the year, and she turned up in a huge coat, gloves, a balaclava and big, black sunglasses..."
"Sheesh..." Tom paused for a moment. "What about the others?"
"Hugh and Stephen I haven't the slightest idea, and Lee - believe it or not - went into the army."
"I know you were kids, but she's TINY. How...?"
"As I said, I really don't know any more. This is all third-hand or worse." He glanced at the clock. "You said an hour?"
Tom looked at his watch "More like three-quarters now."
"I had better get ready then. Excuse me..." _________
"So, what's wrong then?"
"Huh?" Lyle almost jumped in his seat at Shifter's question. They'd been in the air for an hour, and Lyle had spent most of that time brooding.
"You're worried, but you haven't moved a muscle to brief us on what we're facing. The new bugs at the back won't know that's a problem, but I do. What's wrong?"
Lyle craned his head back to face the ceiling, but didn't deny what Reed had said. Finally, he twisted his headband around and told him, "Intel. We don't have any."
"Wait..." Shifter's eyes boggled, "...you're saying that you know nothing about what we're facing."
"Bits and pieces, very little of it reliable beyond the fact that there's at least one vigilante in black armour in Cathingham going round knocking apparent criminals or would-be criminals out and possibly causing trouble for a gang - that's why I sent Starboy up to let you know about this rather than coming myself, I was desperately searching for more. I was given a few blurred CCTV shots, a couple of interviews with people saved or attacked by him - none of which contain any useful info as their contact with him was *very* short, and the idea that this is political rather than anything to do with our mandate of 'preventing, containing or solving a serious and immediate risk to life'."
"So then, you-"
"I'm saying that, although there might be a problem, legally we shouldn't be involved, and it sets a precedent that makes me livid."
"And Gene had nothing to say about this?"
"Gene said, and I quote, 'Get to it'. None of us have been happy with him - hell, we practically mutinied to get Cos reinstalled as de facto leader, even if Gene has to be the de jure leader - but, with Cos taking his Christmas leave early so he doesn't miss Lorna getting back, it's far too clear that Gene doesn't have a clue. He's a chain-of-command guy, who gets orders and passes them on unquestioned. If Cos had been in charge when that came down - or Irma, or me, or even sprocking Chuck - an order like that, coupled with an almost complete absence of info, would have been bounced right back quoting the bits of our charter that let us say no when it goes against the charter itself. Instead, all I could do was ask Gene for it in writing, let him know exactly why he did the wrong thing, tell him I was going to file a formal complaint, and CC him the e-mail informing them that I was going to do just that."
"Another time, I would have done. It'll be at least two months before a standard complaint gets anywhere, if it ever does."
"Then why didn't y... oh."
"What?"
"Condo. You're going through the system because of Condo, aren't you?"
Lyle blinked, then stared at him "What led you to that conclusion? Of course I'm worried about him, since he's been gone a month and I'm human, but I knew they'd probably be a while."
"We didn't even get informal warnings after the Workforce thing. You say we're allowed to say 'no' under the charter. Either you're not the Invisible Kid I know, or you're getting worried about what'll happen when the team you and Nura 'unofficially' sent out get back."
Lyle shot him a look.
"Oh, she sees the future, not the past. I don't think it even occurred to her you wouldn't have told me. She tells Irma everything - well, except for recently, with the work she's had scanning McCauley's victims for programming and everything's had Irma stuck over at WHQ, and the on the verge of exhaustion when she makes it back. Not that I'm not surprised you didn't tell me..."
Lyle sighed, "The less you know, the less you can be fingered for something you didn't have a part in."
"I know what you're like - that's why this seems wrong. And the only conclusion I can come to is that you don't want them angry enough that they start making examples of people. Starting with the group who've been absent without leave for the last month and counting..."
"You choose your fights, Reed." Lyle looked at him, hard. "With no Cos and Gene on the wrong side, this wasn't a fight I could win there and then; and in this situation, a fight delayed is a fight lost. Instead, you hang back, build your strength, build a dossier of wrongdoing & log the egregious examples, make sure everybody you can count on is there. Then - when you have your cards - then you strike."
"And hang on for dear life in the meantime?"
"If you have to." _________
Afternoon:
Gisbert Vasey, the Mayor of Cathingham, was a short, balding, lightly bearded man on the one hand, and a tough operator who spent two hours every day in the gym, had lost a tooth in a boxing match, had no sign of paunch or age-related withering and had ruled his city for twenty-seven of his fifty-nine years and was by far the favourite win the mayoral election and extend his term to a record-breaking thirty-two years early the following year.
It wasn't any of the above which made the Legionnaires take an instant dislike to him, however. It was his manner, and the arrogance thereof. He barely said a word to them during the photo op they hadn't had mentioned to them in advance, which led to Lyle fading out his hand during the pictures of him hakeing the Mayor's hand. And that was before the speech he gave to them in the police commissioner's office...
"So, you're the Legionnaires, hmm? Well, we have a problem - a disease - in our city, that's been called 'the Nightwatchman'.
Some misguided fools call him a hero!
What I say, is that we have laws in this country. This 'Nightwatchman' thinks he is above the law. This 'Nightwatchman' has no respect for the law. This 'Nightwatchman' flouts the law.
Well, I say that he is not above the law! That he is breaking the law - the codes by which our society abides in order to function. If we were to allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to break the law, where would we be, hmm?
He would have us all be criminals, murdering, and stealing. While wearing masks to hide behind. Only the guilty have something to hide.
Which is why, thanks to my friend, Lex, I have brought you here today. We have a lawbreaker. I expect you to rectify that, and to give me your full co-operation to. that. End."
(beat)
"Oh, and do have a lovely time in Cathingham, thank you"
After which, he left without waiting for a reply. They looked at each other mutely in astonishment, with an additional "I told you so" look from Lyle to Reed. _________
Night:
Gear's tendrils snaked into the sockets, reshaping themselves to fit. "Gimme a moment... there. Up and running."
"You can see everything?" Shifter asked.
"Everything there is here - CCTV, police radios, the kit, the caboodle..."
"...and commlinks" Gear's voice suddenly came from Shifter's shoulder rather than his mouth, making him jump. The others laughed.
"Right, Shifter, Starboy, let's get going." Invisible Kid pressed. "Gear, you know what to do."
"Tell me about it," Igor muttered as he worked to multitask through the data from 24 CCTV cameras, 104 police radio channels and assorted miscellany simultaneously... __________
Two-and-a-half hours later, Lyle's "get going" seemed wildly optimistic as they sat in police car playing cards and waiting for some word.
"He heard we were coming, didn't he," Tom moaned. His first official mission as a Legionnaire was turning into a waste of time.
"Could be," Lyle serenely placed another card. "You just have to learn some pat-ie-en..."
"Got a hit!" Gear's voice echoed through the vehicle as their commlinks sparked to life. "Saw him heading north at the crossing of Watson Street and Trefoil Road."
As Lyle, who had already made his way into the front, sparked the engine into life, he smirked at Tom for a fraction of a second.
When they were stopped at a busy junction, Shifter snaked through the grill separating the front seats of the car from the rear. "I caught that smirk. You're feeling more confident then?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Eh?"
"Rule of leadership: don't let the newbies see how nervous you are." He pulled out into a gap in the traffic, turning left. ___________
Reed was alone. Lyle & Tom had both fallen quickly - Lyle to a blow to the head, delivered by the Nightwatchman in what seemed like complete ignorance of Tom trying to pin him gravitationally, and Tom himself to a tranquiliser dart fired from his wrist. One had hit Reed too, but a small area around where it hit had liquified and fallen out with the dart, taking the drug with it.
He'd just managed to heal the resulting wound when a kick to the chest had knocked him on his behind, showing the fight was on.
He hadn't done very well.
His unique physiology stopped his much stronger opponent from knocking him out, but whatever the training he'd received from Valor & Trinity, he simply hadn't been able to make an impression through his opponent's armour. It had almost come as a relief when the Nightwatchman had bolted on hearing sirens, and had very nearly just given into the pan and gone to his 'natural', gelatinous, form to heal.
Nearly.
As a result, he was trying to do so in solid form, while chasing the NWM. The concentration needed nearly led him to miss the NWM dropping down a manhole cover, and then he almost lost him in the gloom of the sewer passageways.
Almost.
Now, the NWM was turning to fight once more, seemingly giving up on losing him. Focusing on this and healing rather than watching his step, Shifter tripped over a loose brick and fell.
With his opponent looming over him, and the knowledge that he couldn't beat him in a straight fight, he made a decision, and jumped onto his helmet, clamping to it limpet-style and bracing against his opponent's shoulders, trying to forcibly remove it.
If he couldn't beat him, at least he could see his face, find out his identity-
The blows started to rain down upon him, the NWM desperate to be rid of him. He held on, and with the blows failing to prise him off, he grabbed at him.
He clung on to the rim of the helmet for dear life, pulling at it and trying to brace.
Something had to give.
He wouldn't.
The NWM wouldn't.
The helmet did.
As it came off, Shifter fell forwards, still stuck to his trophy, trying to stay focused on staring at his opponent's face. The NWM had audibly winced as it happened and was now rubbing the back of their head as... long hair fell down from a topknot? He engorged his eyes more until they took up fully half his face, peering through the dark.
His surprise at registering the "Nightwatchman's" unmistakably female face was as nothing compared to the shock when he recognised her.
"Lydia?!"
[ January 24, 2008, 08:55 AM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Reboot on :
The Nightwatchman, Part 2
Shifter was so shocked at recognising the face beneath the helmet that his arms momentarily turned to jelly, and he dropped the helmet. It rolled irregularly on the bricked surface for a couple of turns before stopping. Its' owner picked it up but didn't put it back on.
"Lydia?" His face contracted into a look of sheer bewilderment. "That really you?"
She looked at him for a second, seemingly unsure how to respond. Instead of replying, she walked over and picked up the brick he'd dislodged for a moment, looking down at where it had come from. Then she looked straight at him and answered, "yes."
"But..."
He was cut off by her making a "shush" gesture with her gauntleted finger, whereupon she lifted an irregular circle of bricks, joined from below by a thick plate iron circle, which concealed a hole slightly wider than her armour.
"Now, you've recognised me. I can continue to flee, and you can run back to the Mayor with what you have learned, or we can talk. Down here, now. I'd far prefer to talk."
Shifter looked nervously at her. She sighed.
"I'm not a murderess - all I wanted was to be left alone, and that is hardly an option now. What happens now, is your choice."
Now, it was Reed's turn to sigh. He weighed the options. Given the way she was holding a sizeable chunk of brick and iron, she apparently had a level of strength surpassed amongst those he'd met only by Andromeda & the Hulk. That backed up her claim that she wasn't out to kill him, since with that strength level, she had to have been holding back, however sore he'd become. If he was safe enough, the question then was, was it worth it? And that was answered by the fact that he'd known her once, even if it was years earlier...
"I'll talk."
"Good." She paused and glared at his shoulder. "Leave the radio behind." He hesitated again, but she stared at him and he reluctantly dropped the commlink into the sewer water. She then beckoned him over, and he saw the narrow, deep pipe under the irregular gap in the bricks, and the ladder-like steps embedded in the side of it. Warily, with one eye on her, he stepped down.
As he climbed downward, he heard her place the brick he'd dislodged back into the lid with a "click", and then looked up to see her sitting on the rim of the hole, helmet loosely over her head, looking down to check where he was. As he reached the bottom, she brought it down and the already-oppressive darkness became total.
Completely blind, he pushed himself into the side of the pipe, and wondered what he'd got himself into.
She reached the base far quicker than he had, and he heard a click and the sound of something moving. He felt her reach for his hand, and took it, followed by her guiding him down a short, pitch-black corridor into a small room with a slight draught. She lit a candle and he blinked furiously, suddenly blinded by even the dim light with his huge, dark-adjusted eyes. He shrank them to something more like normal and looked at her.
She had removed the helmet again, and was inspecting the edges of it for signs of damage. Apparently satisfied no serious damage had been done, she set it down on a protruding nail in the rough-stone wall, and pulled two snack bars from a bag which hung on another nail and offered one to him.
"Well, you look... striking... now, Reed."
"And you don't?" A thick, raised eyebrow appeared above Reed's left eye as he reached for the bar. "Been following me or the Legion in general?"
"The latter - I thought this might happen one day, given a certain person's paranoia. Although I must say, I was surprised to see Shifter was 'Reed Daggly', and I could not expect there are many people with that name in this world." A giggle had just about crept into her voice after his name, but she sobered up as she continued, "I don't know whether I should say 'Sorry' or 'Congratulations' at what's happened."
"A bit of both, I expect. And I can't expect there are many Lydia Graths out there, penchant for dressing in black men's armour or no. Nightwatchman? Really?"
"I did not choose the name - I'd prefer not to be known at all in this guise, but I gained enough infamy to be named by the press. And the armour is... a matter of practicality."
"Right, well, you wanted to talk. It sounds like you've heard how I got to this point, what about you? How'd you end up as Superbatgirl?"
Lydia paused a moment. Then she gave a long sigh, sat back against the wall, sighed again and started talking, "I suppose it starts with my father. Almost a year after you left, something triggered a reaction for the first time in some time - perhaps I was careless, or someone else had left some windows open. But regardless of the cause, I had to stay in the 'inside rooms' for weeks, and my father became more worried than ever.
As a result, he made an offer to a pharmaceutical company - he would work for them for them for free, in return for two days a week of research and development time to work at improving my condition and the staff to support him. Knowing my father's expertise, they agreed provided we would move here.
Two years later, he felt he had something which might help - and which had been tested so that, to his satisfaction, it would not harm me, Desperate for some relief, I took it. It didn't do me any harm, but if there was an improvement it was marginal." Her voice dropped a little. "Soon afterward, he had a severe heart attack - he survived, but he was left bedridden and is still very frail. As he could not travel, the arrangement had to be ended.
Shortly after my father's illness began, however, I began to notice changes. People almost seemed to glow. Frightened, but not wanting to burden my father, I said nothing.
Do you remember how, despite my condition, I was always afraid of the dark, and insisted on having some 'safe' light source around?"
"Indeed."
"Well, as a result, it was only when the power was cut during a storm one night that I realised what the glowing was - I could see heat as well as light, which meant I could see in the dark. It was amazing... and it was then that I first began to notice the other change."
"The strength? You mean that's not part of the armour?"
"Only tangentially. Strong light, even when it is not bright enough to burn me, dampens my strength, and even in the pitch-black night then, I was only just stronger. My strength has built though - sometimes, when I wear this, it seems almost limitless. And yet, I'm still as trapped by the sun as I've ever been, like a vampire. If you were to hand me over to the Mayor, or even give him my name, I would be at their mercy." Her eyes had dropped as she mentioned the sun, but as she admitted that she would be at their mercy, she raised her face and stared straight into his eyes.
"But, you're still breaking the law, Lydia - you can't just take the law into your own hands."
"'All that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.' Edmund Burke is supposed to have said that, do you remember? I believe that it applies to women too. On average, I save two people a night from being mugged, raped or murdered in individual crimes alone.
In addition, there is a human trafficking gang operating in this city, using innocent women and children as prostitutes and slaves." Up until this point, her voice had been soft, but as she continued, it began to build, "As long as I have the power to do something about it, I cannot let that go! In the past month, I have freed fifty women from being forcibly used in brothels across this city, and handed them to one of the charities I run to be helped. I'm sorry, but if obeying the law means leaving people to be raped, tortured and killed then the law is an ass and I want no part of it!"
Shifter was shocked into silence by her sudden anger, and she followed up, softly spoken once more, with "You don't know the Mayor at all, do you?"
"No," he was forced to admit.
"Have you ever heard of him before today?"
"No... all I really know, if I'm going to be honest, is that he Officially Requested our help, and that he gave a long speech about 'the need to adhere to the law' when we arrived."
"Ha." Lydia didn't laugh, she pronounced it as a word. "His order, and his law, as it suits him. His father was the mayor here, and his grandfather before him, and he himself has been mayor for almost thirty years. It seems to be effectively a monarchy, trappings of democracy or no. And he knows it, and he uses it. Was I a 'rogue element' this time?"
"Ah, not exactly..."
"A 'disease' then?"
"Umm... yes."
She looked down and shook her head slowly for a moment, then said, "This gang couldn't operate here without his implicit consent. Indeed, although I wouldn't wage money on it, it would not surprise me in the slightest to find that, ultimately, he ran it himself. Far better to call in an international super-powered task force, who are only meant to deal with immediate and serious threats to life, to deal with someone who is saving lives than to do anything about it."
Reed shifted slightly in his seat as she brought up the charter issue Lyle had pointed out to him earlier in the day. If she noticed, however, she didn't pause as she continued...
"Still, if breaking the law is automatically wrong, let's see, doesn't your official Legion web page say that you were transformed after knocking out and impersonating the Legion's designated co-pilot, an officer in the United States Air Force, on a mission to Cambodia?"
"Yes..."
"Should we attempt to tease out how many laws you admit to breaking in that sentence alone? Or how long you would have been in prison if you had been charged and convicted?"
"I'd rather not..."
There was silence for a few moments, as the candle flickered in the draught.
Eventually, she looked at him again, and her expression softened... "I'm sorry Reed, I'm not trying to just bludgeon you into submission." He snorted, but she continued, "It... I am doing good here, and whatever else happens I can't just... stand by and let murders, rapists and profiteers from misery go without doing everything I can to stop them. It is why I do this.
And now you essentially have it in your power to stop me. I said I could run, but, if I'm honest, that stopped being true when you saw my face. I can't abandon my father, and everything else I do would have to stop.
So I have to continue, unless you give me to the Mayor to be captured. What will you do?"
"For someone who isn't trying to bludgeon me, you, you do a good impression of it." The short tentacles atop Shifter's head moved like sea anemones in the tides. "Can't you, I don't know, do more elsewhere to make up for it?"
"Reed, I don't just fund charities - I run three, personally, and that takes up almost all of my 'day' time. There is a limit on what else I can do, personally, especially when I can't go out in daylight. If I was to stop, or forcibly be stopped, the only differences, other than the Mayor's personal satisfaction, will be that more attacks will be allowed to happen unchallenged, and that more women will continue to be abused without hope of rescue."
Shifter looked down at the floor. He felt like he was in a lose-lose situation. He didn't doubt that what she said was true, but on the other hand the Mayor was right in his way too - people bopped on the head by a vigilante, however well meaning, were hard to get a conviction on. But on the other hand, if she was actually saving people, rather than them dying or being traumatised, that was preferable to that happening even if those at fault were later convicted, surely...
Lydia saw that he was wavering, and decided on a high-risk strategy. "Come with me."
"Huh?"
"When you intercepted me, I was intending to close another forced brothel. Now, time's running short. Come with me, help me save those women." _________
What convinced Reed to go the extra mile and actually help her wasn't Lydia's words, passionate as they were - though, on her own, she could probably have convinced him to let her be. What led him to do it was the memory of Lyle's words in his head - 'Intel. We don't have any....this is political rather than anything to do with our mandate of 'preventing, containing or solving a serious and immediate risk to life'...legally we shouldn't be involved, and it sets a precedent that makes me livid... If Cos had been in charge when that came down - or Irma, or me, or even sprocking Chuck - an order like that, coupled with an almost complete absence of info, would have been bounced right back.' And it had practically confirmed by the Mayor himself.
They'd been sent on an illegal mission, blind. Success would only encourage them to repeat it.
Well, that was how he rationalised it, anyway, as he followed Lydia in climbing from her bolthole, shifted into a near-copy of her armour.
"Where are we going?" Without an actual opening, his voice was muffled, but she heard him even through her helmet.
"This way." She pointed in a direction, while he jumped at the deep, male voice coming from her.
"It's from a children's toy. It works for the little speaking I do like this. Now shush." _________
Finding it was simple - clearly, Lydia worked at getting good intel, he thought pointedly, as they stood in a nearby alley, having just come up from through a manhole cover.
"Is there anything I should know?" he mumbled
"Sometimes they shoot at me."
"What?"
"The armour's thick, and I have two bulletproof vests, a steel-plate stab-proof vest and several layers of "stab-proof" fabric. The form's for protection, not to be androgynous."
"I meant, 'why didn't you tell me this?'"
"If you want to leave, then you still can."
Bullets mostly worked by ripping apart internal organs, Shifter thought. For someone who didn't have any... "No, but you should have told me-"
"It's too late for that now. Are you staying, or are you going?"
"Well, I'm staying, but-"
"Come then..." She started moving... _________
Two hours later (1am):
It had been a rout. With 'protection' from the police and any rival gangs, they hadn't been ready for a super-strong armoured woman and a shapeshifting glob in armoured form and it had all been over in a few minutes. What had taken longer - almost an hour - was for Lydia to gain the trust of the six women enough for them to follow her to the haven she'd had one of her charities set up. Shifter, not speaking their language, just tried to stay inconspicuous as he could - while needing to stay in the form of something which was about as inconspicuous as a tank.
Now, they were back in another of Lydia's boltholes - as she'd explained, she usually hid for a few hours after doing anything major, as it got the Mayor uncommonly excited. She had her helmet off, he had returned to his standard form, and both clutched drinks which had been hot ten minutes earlier. A comfortable silence had descended when he realised the time, and reluctantly spoke up.
"I need to go, you realise - we were due to fly back three hours ago."
"You were confident," she smiled.
"Not in the least, actually - we knew next to nothing about you. But we weren't allowed to have a hand in the planning."
"And do you still know next to nothing about me?" She put her drink down and looked him in the eye. "I need to know Reed." And something about the way she stared made his non-existent stomach leap.
"I won't say anything Lydia. I promise. But I can't promise we won't be dragged out here again, charter or no."
"In my experience, you should promise what you can, and accept what you can't." She smiled. His 'heart' leapt this time. "You should go."
He stood up, "I know about, well, you know; but if you ever make it to New York, contact me."
"I will." She smiled again, and he turned and went quickly. __________________
He was back on the plane from earlier in the day. He'd been found, "dazed" and lost by a police car and brought in after Gear had spotted him on CCTV. He'd explained that he'd eventually been pounded to the point he couldn't take any more, and had reverted to his gelatinous form, losing his radio at some point. It hadn't been a million miles from the truth.
The Cathingham cops hadn't been happy, but Lyle had already made it *very* clear to them by at that point that they needed to go as soon as they found him.
Now, sat back in the darkened plane, with Gear and Starboy asleep, Lyle suddenly spoke up. "One thing - Gear thought he saw two Nightwatchmen at one point in the night. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Shifter concentrated as hard as he could on keeping a straight face. "How could I? I was an unconscious blob in the sewer for hours, if you recall."
Lyle raised an eyebrow briefly, but said "I'll leave that mention out of the report then. An unreliable glimpse, it was probably just a shadow," and lay back in his seat to shut his eyes, a grin seeping over the edges of his mouth. ____________________________________
EPILOGUE
Later that day:
Lydia sat back and sighed loudly before checking her watch. Three minutes grace before her next appointment seemed like the most she'd had all day to reflect on the night before. Her secret ID had been compromised, and while she thought she could trust Reed, it was far from out of the question that they could try again, sending someone who could cause her real problems - Kinetix perhaps, or Live Wire. Or, worst, Tela. She would have to be more careful in future to avoid that sort of encounter. Of course, with that in mind, she'd already been searching for help, and...
There was a buzz, and her secretary's voice broke her reverie. "Your three o'clock is here."
She sighed before pressing the intercom's reply button. "Ask her to step in then, please."
A moment later, the door opened, and the interviewee came in, asking "Lady Grath?" While tall, clearly strong and dressed in a smart trouser suit, her whole body language radiated nerves as she flicked at her long braid, and Lydia wondered for a moment how deep rooted they were, with what she knew of her history. Still, one reason to do interviews..."
"It's just 'Ms. Grath' if you have to be so formal, but 'Lydia' would be fine," she said with a broad grin, "I never use the title." She stretched out her hand, and they shook hands firmly. "Please, have a seat Ms. Gander."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Vienna, Austria
Though it was no where near the top speed Monius Elysius could fly at, it was the fastest Spirit has ever moved in her entire life. He flew directly to the building below, traveling across the airspace of numerous countries with an abrupt ease, though his chiseled features let on no hint of a smile. Tina stole away a few glances at him, feeling almost weightless in his arms, and she couldn’t help but stare at his handsome face. He had a sort of rugged handsomeness that was, well, uncommon these days. Truly he was a warrior of two thousand years earlier, hardened by a much harder world. There was something good about him, of course, which was why all of them had been drawn to him immediately. But there was something much more…something dangerous and strong. Despite herself, she felt an attraction, though she hated the thought of coming between Mon and Tatiana, since there was already some sort of unspoken connection there (and Tina was not blind to these types of social behavior—quite the opposite really). “Down below there…” she said in almost a whisper, her slender arms pulling her mouth closer to his ear to make sure he would hear. He would. His hearing was just about better than almost anyone on the planet.
So Monius Elysius descended into Vienna, the capital of Austria, and the home of Princess Tamara Wazzo (Tina to her friends). It also just so happened that as he did so, there was more than enough media to witness his arrival, as rumors about his existence became much less than rumors from here on. Spirit, the Austrian Princess who became one of the original Legionnaires, was a pure celebrity in her home country—and indeed the world—as there was no Austrian girl who did not fantasize about being her at this point, and no boy in all the world who did not fantasize about dating her, given her tremendous beauty and obvious confidence. But she would speak nothing about the young man who carried her back home that afternoon, though every reporter and cameraman in shouting distance called out to her. She had promised him she would not.
“Mother will outraged and scandalized that I’ve arrived like this,” she said, Maziah’s spell of understanding between the twelve of them still working despite her distance away. “So I expect she’ll be screaming at us shortly. She can be quite scary…”
“I don’t scare too easy,” smiled Mon. “The others will hopefully arrive this evening according to Dirk. Then we can all rest for awhile…at last…” he added, thinking about Tenz, Hasim, Tatiana and Dirk, who had suffered greatly in the Gulag of the Dark Circle. It brought back fresh anger, to know they were tortured so badly…simply because they were different.
“I’ll have food and beds prepared,” said Spirit, as they walked into the Castle of the Royal Family of Wazzo, an off-shoot of the ancient Hapsburg family, former rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Her mother, the Countess Winema, was a prominent member of the European Union (on the Budgetary Committee), as well as being a member of the United Nations. Some families, of course, knew how to remain in power as customs such as monarchy held less sway over the centuries. Despite her occasional eccentricities (claiming the Austro-Hungarian Empire would one day rise again), she was a political powerhouse with a ferocious intellect that she used as her second greatest weapon—the greatest, of course, being her lack of mercy in the political arena. Above all, what caused the Countess the most distress in her life currently was the fact that her only daughter (and only heir) had decided to join the ridiculous “Legion of Super-Heroes” in New York City. And unfortunately for Tina, her mother was indeed home at the moment, playing host to a large array of global politicians.
Tina would learn all of that shortly, as she and Mon were greeted by the various household servants. Mon pulled off his cloak (his ‘cape’ to the Legionnaires in their company). “Vienna…” he said out loud, “…it didn’t exist during my time, though the Empire was on its way here. I would think there must be some Roman influence in this city?” he asked her.
“Indeed,” she smiled, “the city began as a Roman Army camp. Many European cities did,” she smiled. He smiled in return. Stop it Tina, she thought, but couldn’t help herself. “The media will be camped outside the castle until we leave now, dying to know who you are. Once our ‘friends’ arrive, they definitely won’t be leaving.
“It seems they have other things on their minds as well,” said Mon, nodding toward a television set, a concept which he had only become recently acquainted with.
”The Khund Menace!” yelled the man on the screen. “The biggest threat to our security in our age right now, and not a thing is being done about it! When will the U.N. show some teeth? Maybe this latest gathering of politicians in Austria will present us with something useful…but I doubt it! Once more, it will be up to us and our American allies to deal with the larger global threat. This is Jack Ryder, signing off.”
“I know nothing about this Khund Menace,” said Mon, “but the people of this world have no idea about what a true threat to their security is…as the Dark Lord in the East continues to rise.”
--------------------------------------------
Berlin, Germany
An older gentleman, dressed in a fine business suit, clean cut with gray hair and the type of man that grows more attractive as he ages, sat having a glass of scotch, neat, watching the news. Focused on Austria, it showed what looked like a man with a flowing blue cape, flying into Vienna carrying the Legionnaire known as Spirit. The media, it appeared, were in a frenzy attempting to uncover the man’s identity.
Marla Latham knew exactly who he was, and had been concerned about he and his friends since their parting in India. Now he knew where he’d be going to next, it seemed.
---------------------------------------------
Yemen
The Dark Lord sat up on his thrown, looking to the West and seeing far with his omniscient eyes. Many of his servants sat in his presence in silence, not daring to look directly upon him. Azmodeus, the feline, curled around his feet. The defeat of Vykros has inspired his wrath in a way not done in two decades. Yet, the power shown by his daughter Maziah was somewhat pleasing to him. Perhaps she had some fire in her after all.
Yet, enough was enough. The time had come to bring her home, and to vanquish her allies too. His ancient foe, Blok, was among them, and he had begun to assemble many who might hold a grudge against him. But there was little they would be able to do the Dark Lord, when they were but a company of children and he had power that had leveled armies and continents many times over. “Bring me the man called Blood.”
His voice echoed in the hallway, and brought fresh tears to the eyes of those weakest among his servants.
Now Mordru was ready to end this charade, bring his daughters home and show her the many forms that torment could take.
[ February 06, 2008, 10:21 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
While Tina dealt with making preparations and politically avoiding her mother at all costs, Mon became even more unapproachable than ever (as just about everyone began outright avoiding the rooms and hallways he was brooding in), the rest of the Company at last grew closer to Austria, until at last they entered the country and reached Vienna.
Princess Jacquie looked out the window as a light rain began to descend and breathed a heavy sigh. Her platinum bangs fells at her forehead and she felt too tired to brush them away.
“What is it Princess?” said Val, the Legionnaire known as Valor. “You suddenly look sad.”
“We’re close to where my country is…was…I suddenly wish we had stopped there.”
Val knew she was thinking about Sarya and the betrayal she felt when her lifelong friend became “The Emerald Empress”. Such a betrayal was not something you ever got over, no matter how much time had passed.
Hasim seemed to move closer, and once more Dirk noticed that whenever Val approached Jacquie, Hasim would somehow always end up in the space between him. This brought Dirk a secret delight, to know that Hasim was not some emotionless bully, but actually had feelings. Dirk wrapped his arms around Jacquie, and she smiled at his display of affection. “No worries Jacq,” he said, “soon we’ll be living it up like the old days…the Princess treatment for you, the celebrity treatment for me…even Tenz can eat real food again, instead of rocks and chains and all that other stuff…”
“Haha, Sun Boy,” said Tenz, walking over too now, as they all prepared to get off the train. Dirk hated the moniker Sun Boy, which is what the media nicknamed him when he was a young male super-model. He had outgrown it several years ago. “While you were all sleeping on the train, Condo and I started coming up with our new codenames.”
Everyone groaned.
“What?” laughed Condo, “like I said, we Legionnaires have them, and you all are young super-powered teenagers on some obviously benevolent quest…so…you know…”
“Well, except Blok,” added Tenz.
“Blok is all you need call me,” said Blok from the back of the train car, and everyone laughed and giggled. Maziah, who was right next to him, smiled and rested her head on his arm.
“We, uh, got that Blok,” said Tenz. But besides Sun Boy, we have Shadow Lass for Tatiana…”
“I hate it,” said Tatiana, trying to mock anger but laughing despite herself. She had been mad for awhile that Mon had moved on ahead with Spirit, but the constant goofing around by Tenz, Condo and Dirk had put her in a good mood.
Tenz was laughing now at Tatiana. “Oh, still in a great mood, I see. Well, besides Shady and Sun Boy, we have ol’ Nemesis over here, right Hasim?” Hasim snarled at him.
“Better stop while you’re ahead Tenz,” said Dirk with a smile.
Vi walked over to them, pointing at the papers. “Look at the headlines,” she said. “All everyone is talking about is Khundia. Apparently we’re arriving here at the same time many of the world’s politicians are. Maybe we can sneak in unnoticed.”
“That’s doubtful,” said Val, looking at their rag-tag group. While the three Legionnaires among them (Catalyst, Valor and Shrinking Violet) had costumes, the others looked like they had been to hell and back, which wasn’t too far removed from the truth. Not to mention Tatitana’s skin had begun to turn blue, and had now become a deep blue color that was noticeable upon first glance, and Blok was a large rock-type creature that towered above them all.
“Oh ye of little faith,” said Jacquie. “Some of us have abilities more subtle than others…but equally as useful,” she added, as she cast an illusion to cover them.
-----------------------------------
At last, the Company finally arrived at Castle Wazzo, where they would be fed, bathed and given proper sleeping quarters and clothing for the first time in quite a long time. But not before one final series of awkward introductions took place. As the ten friends arrived, Tina phased through the doors to come out to meet them. Before questions of surprise and ‘where’s Mon?’ could be spoken, she embarrassingly informed them that her mother would like to meet them all first before they arrived. “She thinks you’re all Legionnaires, and well, I didn’t feel like getting into the entire explanation. So…this isn’t exactly going to help my cause of getting her to think better of the Legion.”
Condo smiled. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as anything other than uber-confident before. Its part of your charm. So this mother of yours…well, this should be interesting.”
Dread passed over her face. “This is going to be a nightmare,” said Tina, as she opened the doors.
As the doors opened, the caught a glimpse of Mon standing off to the side, dressed in t-shirt, jeans, boots and a blazer, obviously clothes Tina had gotten for him, as he was no fan of the 21st style of dress. His voice was void of any emotion and he was quiet, but those that were beginning to know him well, Tatiana prime among them, knew he was very annoyed. In front of them was a brunette woman, in her early forties, and very attractive. She wore a business suit with a skirt bottom, white-colored so that it matched Spirit’s Legion uniform in an odd way. To both her left and right were a series of others dressed in business suits, each one with an air of importance that spoke volumes: they were either delegate friends of the Countess, or her business associates.
The Legionnaires suddenly felt tawdry in their bright-colored costumes and the others simply felt embarrassed at their ragged appearance, after spending weeks on the road, some of which they had been imprisoned, tortured, or huddled in blankets amongst each other. Dirk, usually brash and ready to step to the forefront of every conversation felt the ambassador’s eyes fall on him like a hammer, and both Tenz and Tatiana felt themselves shrinking backwards. Maziah felt a bold annoyance but was silent and Blok seemed to have not a care in the world to discuss matters with these people. Hasim was close to outright hostility, though he was far enough in the back to go unnoticed. But soon all their eyes focused solely on Jacquie, as it was she who stood first and foremost and her regal manner was shown forth like a shining star. She didn’t draw their attention to her—she demanded it. Perhaps because she realized the others felt like they were pinned between a rock and a hard place, or perhaps because being her among these “Important” people reminded her of her old life. Whatever the reason, she stood up strait and walked forward.
“Madame Countess,” she began without being asked, “forgive our appearances. The road has been long and often unkind, and we are honored by your hospitality and your generosity. Please know that we will not stay long and while we are here, we will do our best to be the least inconvenience possible.” She bowed before the Countess, who was suddenly speechless. She had not expected Jacquie’s diplomacy. Indeed, she expected a more brash and loud entrance characteristic of groups of teenagers; she had expected a group like her own daughter.
“It is no inconvenience at all,” said Countess Winema quickly, recovering. “You’ll understand our shock at your appearance, but I am sure it is a tale you Legionnaires will gladly tell us about over dinner.” Winema eyed Jacquie longer and the silence was deafeningly loud. “I apologize child, but do I know you?” she at last asked.
“Indeed,” said the woman directly to her left. “Winema, this is Princess Jaqueline Projectra of Moldavia.” The woman turned to Jacquie personally. “You have my deepest sympathies Princess.”
“Indeed, all of ours,” said the man directly to this last woman’s left.
“Thank you,” replied Jacquie.
“Forgive me,” said Winema. “Allow me to introduce my own guests. This is Maya Dahanayake, United Nations Ambassador of Sri Lanka,” she said, motioning her hand to the woman who had professed her sympathies to Jacquie. She was younger than Winema, in her mid-thirties, but had a confident look about her. “This is Alton Relnic of Ireland, known among the political world as the Cicero of our time,” she said, oozing sarcasm as she said so. Relnic was an older man, in his fifties, though still somewhat handsome. He had a biting look to him, as if he could cut you to pieces if he chooses to. Jacquie had heard of him before, as had Dirk and Tatiana. He was a very prolific political figure and very well-liked, at least in their parts of the world growing up. “Does that make you Mark Anthony, Winema? Said Relnic with a smile, though Winema ignored it. “George Whittington of the United States, also an Ambassador of the United Nations,” she added, motioning her hand to a hard looking man, slightly overweight with short jet-black hair. “Howdy,” he said with a nod and a smile. “And lastly, this is Gil Deshi of Burma,” she said, motioning to a shorter man with a thick moustache who waved hello to them all. There were others, but apparently, though Dirk, they didn’t warrant an introduction by Winema, so that must mean they’re the assistants and support staff of the various ambassadors.
“The pleasure if all ours,” said Jacquie. “We appreciate your coming to meet us as we arrived.”
“Not a problem,” said George Whittington, “I was hoping to get a look at some of you Legionnaires myself. Making your country…countries proud.”
“That’s debatable George,” said Winema and some of them laughed. “Either way, we will let you all get cleaned up, and look forward to talking with you in the next few days. The Ambassadors will be staying here in Vienna while you are here.”
“Great…” said Tina with her own sarcasm oozing, drawing a look of daggers from her mother.
The delegates walked away, and Mon could hear Parker saying to Relnic “Well, that was a welcome distraction…I guess its back to Khundia?” Mon was surprised when he heard Relnic say “don’t think I don’t realize that to you George, the two are the same topic…” Mon had a pretty strong notion what that meant, even if the Legionnaires had no clue. He had been a soldier for half of his life after all and knew full well how military decisions were made.
“Mon?” said Tatiana realizing he was distracted. He could tell by her face she wasn’t completely thrilled with him at the moment. He had not a clue why. He forced a smiled. “You need rest,” he said, and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes, and any anger faded away quickly. What was it about him? He smiled. “I can’t take these types of situations without you,” he whispered to her. “Politicians in any century annoy me beyond belief.” She smiled back.
As the Legionnaires took in the majesty of the castle, a servant approached Tina. “Princess? You have an urgent phone call, and he insisted we not turn him away, as he is well-connected here in Austria. A Mr. Marla Latham?”
[ February 12, 2008, 10:52 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Berlin, Germany
Mon-El flew above the streets of Berlin, once more impressing his passengers with his effective mode of travel, though this time there were two: Spirit, once more, and Tatiana Mallor, this time insisting she come along too. In her mind, Ms. Princess Legionnaire Tina Wazzo had spent enough time with Mon. For weeks she had felt a connection with Mon that she soon realized was mutual when he at last kissed her in Sakkim, India. And since then she’d been captured by the Dark Circle, near tortured, huddled for survival with her friends and then recovering, most of the time split from him, and left confused on what that kiss in Sakkim meant.
And just when they finally had a few moments together, Spirit received a call from Marla Latham, of all people, saying he was not that far away. Mr. Latham had been quite friendly to them in Sakkim and a lot of the time it sure felt like they didn’t have many friends. Spirit was more than happy to make a side-trip to Berlin, but when Marla suggested over the phone that with Mon they could see him in pretty quick time through a more expeditious mode of travel, she knew Mon would agree to it. After all, they were all worried about their friend Baksheesh and what happened to him. “Kid Psycho” as he sometimes called himself was also one of their few friends and they felt terrible leaving him behind. But she wasn’t just going to let Mon and Spirit take off without her again.
But to be honest, now she regretted ‘forcing’ herself to come along. She didn’t want to be pushy—that was the last thing she wanted. And Mon was so hard to read. Spirit could feel the tension too, and she didn’t say a word to either of them the entire way over there.
At last, they began to descend. “Mon-El,” said Spirit, quickly adopting the nickname that Tenz had created for Monius Elysius. “…Mr. Latham said to meet him at the Swissotel Berlin in the hotel lobby…we’re close but you’re still a few blocks away.”
“Yes,” said Mon, as they touched down. “But unlike you, I’ve seen Marla Latham before and remember what he looks like. And I found him as we were approaching. He’s not in the hotel lobby. He’s a few blocks away, walking through the streets.”
“But he said he’d meet us?” said Tatiana. She liked Marla Latham a lot when she met him. They all did. There was something fatherly about him. And after weeks on the road with no one but their own age, it felt good to have him around. Not to mention most of them had terrible daddy-issues, she thought, but no need to go into that now.
“Why would he lie?” asked Spirit.
“He might not be intentionally doing it,” said Tatiana, a bit too quickly, as if this could very well turn into an argument. Mon said nothing, choosing to ignore the comment.
“I didn’t mean he was being deceitful…” said Tina
“I know…I’m sorry,” said Tatiana, “…I’m tired…I probably shouldn’t have come…” she added, looking towards Mon, who wasn’t looking at either one of them. What neither realized was he was using his vision to look through three blocks of buildings to scan for Marla.
“Ahead, about three blocks up,” Mon said finally. “Then another two over. He’s in an alley way…he’s just kind of standing there, peering into the shadows. Very odd. But we might as well check it out.”
“Okay,” said Spirit, as she began making her way over to him by phasing through the walls.
“And for the record,” said Mon, “I’m glad you came,” he said to Tatiana, scooping her up and flying over. She tried to hide her smile from him.
Mon made it over there first, putting Tatiana down, surprisingly Marla Latham as they were suddenly right next to him. “Give an old man a heart attack, why don’t you?” he said with a smile. The alley way they were in was very dark.
“What are you doing?” asked Tatiana curiously.
“I’m looking for the blue devil of Berlin,” he said with a laugh. “A young man I believe is in desperate need of some kind words and common sense, since apparently, he’s been made to believe he’s a demon sent by some dark deity to bring hell upon this Earth.”
“Well, Maziah’s spell is finally wearing off,” said Mon. “Because I have no clue what you’re talking about…”
Just then Tina phased through a brick wall, coming out into the alleyway, entering a part completely surrounded in shadow. Though the others couldn’t see into the shadowed corner, Tina suddenly realized she had just phased through an actual person, completely hidden in the shadows. It was one of the young man’s powers, after all. Kurt Wagner could make himself completely invisible to the naked eye when hidden in shadows. Just like he could teleport great distances in a puff of smoke, leaving behind the smell of brimstone and fire. Which is exactly what he did not, teleporting below them into the alleyway, exposing himself to the others.
“Ah!” he yelled. “A ghost has come for me! Truly, I am a devil—that other phantasms and evil creatures would come forth to find me!” Again he teleported quickly, so that Marla, Tatiana and Mon turned behind them to see him again, as Tina joined them.
“Wait!” yelled Marla, “I’m here to help you! You’re the Nightcrawler! I’ve been reading up on you in the papers and the internet!”
“Yes, the Nightcrawler,” said Kurt Wagner, “and the people of Berlin loath me!” he said, teleporting again. Mon-El suddenly flew at super-speed towards, him, wrapping his arms around him.
“Easy, friend,” said Mon-El…”calm down, no one is here to hurt—“ he was cut off as Nightcrawler suddenly swung his feet up and kicked Mon in the face, then teleported out of his arms again, this time towards Tina, who had now become solid, and nailed her and Marla Latham backwards with his blue pointy tail. He was blue-furred and had the features of a demon…pointy ears, a demonic face, and three fingers on each hand, with three toes on each foot.
“The lord is my shepherd…” he began, and then began to mumble a prayer to him, closing his eyes, and teleporting again into the shadows.
“ENOUGH!” said Tatiana suddenly very loudly. She stepped forward into the shadows. “You are scared, and for that, I cannot blame you. I’ve been pretty scared myself lately. But you must calm yourself,” she added, and suddenly she called forth a cascade of darkness, completely enveloping her, so that the entire section of the alleyway was closed off. Both of them were now covered in darkness. “Look at me Nightcrawler,” she said. “Look at my skin. You call yourself a demon…if that’s the case…then what does that make me?” she asked, and the pain in her words was very real. All of the emotion she had kept bottled up revealed itself, and her fears of becoming something less than human showed forth.
Not far off, the others could hear her loudly, and her words broke both Marla and Mon’s hearts. Spirit, who up until now couldn’t help but wonder why Tatiana was being so bitchy towards her, suddenly felt a great deal of empathy for her.
In the shadows, Kurt Wagner could see Tatiana perfectly, and he thought she was absolutely beautiful. He began to calm down, as the shadows always helped him stay calm, and took in her beauty. “You are no demon,” he said in German, though Maziah’s spell allowed the teenagers to understand him perfectly (causing Mon-El to reflect that this was yet another language Marla Latham seemed to speak flawlessly). “And I am sorry for my attack. My interactions with others as of late…have not been pleasant.”
“Mine either,” said Tatiana. “But I hope that will soon change. Come down now and speak with us. We are all different here. We are all like you.” She offered her hand to him, and he took it.
An hour later, the three teenagers and Marla Latham had become acquainted with Kurt Wagner, known as the Nightcrawler according to some popular German blogs. Marla planned to help get him on his feet and perhaps help him figure out a way to make a life for himself. Tina was almost ready to offer him a place among their little group, but Mon-El shook his head not to. Mon understood full well what was ahead of them. To Mon, Spirit’s thoughts of them all joining the Legion were nothing but delusions—it would just endanger more people. There was no use offering admittance to their little club to this young man, when he might just end up another victim of the Dark Lord Mordru. Tatiana felt bad for Kurt, and for the first time, found herself agreeing with Spirit rather than Mon.
“I look forward to our next meeting,” Nightcrawler said to Tatiana.
“As do I,” she replied with a smile. “We’ll come and visit you sometime.”
“I would like that very much,” he replied.
“And I,” said Marla Latham, “will now be coming to visit you. I should be there within two or three days, after I help Kurt here take care of a few things. Will you be in Vienna for the next few days?”
“I believe so,” said Tina. “Notwithstanding some reason for us to leave…”
---------------------------
As various politicians, businessmen and aristocrats gathered in Vienna, to unofficially discuss the Khundian Menace under the guise of being Winema Wazzo’s house guests, another Lord made his journey to Vienna as well. This Phantom Lord, however, was under the control of Mordru the Merciless.
Blood was his specialty, and Blood was his name. Jason Blood…though it wasn’t he that would do the dark lord’s bidding. Two men, dressed commonly in t-shirts, jeans and jackets, served their lord Mordru by ensuring that when the time came, they would utter the words to their unfortunate guest that would ensure the true servant of Mordru would arise:
”Gone, gone, form of man, Behold the Demon, Etrigan”
[ February 05, 2008, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Vienna, Austria
“So when are Mon and Shady getting back?” said Tenz to Maziah and Dirk.
“Shady?” said Maziah with a big smile. “As in…”
“Shadow Lass. The codename I’ve given her,” smiled Tenz.
“You’ve got to give it up,” said Dirk. “I’m not going to be called Sun Boy and she’s not going to be called Shadow Lass.”
“So you’re telling me they’re off doing the hanky panky. Okay, I’m cool with that.”
“Tenz…” said Maziah, poking him. “Spirit is with them.”
“That lucky dog…” laughed Tenz, and they all laughed.
Not too far off, Shrinking Violet, Valor and Catalyst were having a conversation and by the looks of it, a heated one. They were arguing about something, which made it purely Legion business. Blok was nowhere to be found, Hasim was off in the corner doing his own thing, and Jacquie was with all the delegates for the second day in a row. They had at long last slept in real beds, had shows (or baths), and had eaten not one, not two, but three real meals. They even had real clothes on for the first time in ages. Dirk was completely at ease in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, with a pair of moccasins on. His red hair had been cut short again and he was letting a five o’clock shadow grow. He was good looking and he knew it. Maziah, on the other hand, had no idea that she was very pretty, and had on a long white sweater, with black leggings underneath. She let her hair flow naturally. Tenz was in a sweatshirt and jeans, but with black shades on. “I’ve got to look cool too, you know” he’d say.
“Where’s Blok been?” asked Dirk of Maziah. Maziah was obviously the closest one to Blok. The others knew partially why, but it was unspoken. Blok had forever been an enemy of Mordru, battling the dark lord through the centuries as Mordru continued to thrive. And it was Blok’s great hope that perhaps Maziah’s arrival upon this planet signaled a change—perhaps it was Maziah that could one day defeat her father.
“Something is bothering him,” she said. “Something about all these people. He told me ‘Mordru’s influence is here’, and that’s it.”
“He’s so cheerful,” said Tenz.
At last, Valor, Shrinking Violet and Catalyst emerged from their conversation. Catalyst looked a little red in the face, and Violet a little uncomfortable, which made the others raise their eyebrows. Hasim, too, noticed this, and moved closer. “What’s the matter?” asked Dirk. With Jacquie with the others, he took the role as unofficial de facto deputy leader among them.
Catalyst looked at Val with his eyebrows raised and then looked back. Finally he spoke. “Well, we’ve been avoiding this for a few days, but really, its been more than a few weeks since we left our Legion pals in New York. And to say “There’s going to be hell to pay” is a bit of an understatement.”
“Oh yeah,” said Violet, suddenly looking like the last thing she wanted to do was go home. “Especially now.”
“I’m not sure I get you,” said Dirk at that last comment.
“To put it in Tolkenesque terms,” said Condo, “this is the breaking of our fellowship. The parting of the Company. Its been really great meeting you all, and though we wish you could join our Legion, its obvious you’re not going to. Its time for us to head home.”
Dirk stood up and put out his hand and took Condo’s. “Its been a pleasure for us,” he said.
“Bummer!” said Tenz. “Especially because you just told us it’s the breaking of our fellowship, which was the coolest thing I’ve ever heard someone say out loud!”
“Thought you’d like that,” smiled Condo.
“I’m not sure I get what made you guys get in an argument,” said Hasim, ever the direct one.
At last Val spoke up. “What you’re doing is important work. If what you say is true, and we believe you that it is, the planet is in serious danger. There’s a connection between your group and the Legion, in that Dreamer is Maziah’s sister. But Spirit and I both agree that its not enough. We should be in constant contact with one another. You’re going to need more help than just the eight of you, no matter what your friend Mon-El thinks. So…” he said, stealing another glance at Catalyst and Shrinking Violet, “…both Spirit and I have agreed to stay behind and join your group. We’re taking a temporary leave of absence from the Legion to join you and add whatever we can to help you in your quest against Mordru.”
The four of them were shocked, and the looks on both Condo and Vi’s faces told them that it would be them who would have to face the wrath of the Legion leaders when they learned about this. Indeed, Condo and Vi knew they would be in for it like no other when Gene learned that two Legionnaires stayed behind in Europe to go on some quest with these people.
“That is,” said Val, “if you’ll have us.” It was the right thing to say, and Dirk quickly realized all the perks of having Spirit and Valor with them. They far-outweighed all the negatives, if there were any at all.
“We don’t need you,” said Hasim, and the animosity he felt towards Val was obvious to anyone who could see that. Condo had warned Val about this minutes prior, and Vi had agreed with them. This boy, Hasim, hated Val. For whatever reasons. Whether he felt threatened because of Jacquie, or because Val might take his role as ‘fighter’ or just plain no reason at all, Hasim hated Val.
“Yes, Hasim, we do,” said Tenz suddenly. If Dirk had said it, it’d be expected, but Hasim was surprised when Ten Zil spoke up now. “We need to learn how to fight. Val can train us how. It would help Dirk and me, and Tatiana and everyone else. And Spirit is really good at what she does. Her power is really sneaky, and we need that.”
“I think we’d be honored if you join us,” said Dirk to Val. Condo was shaking his head but now Vi had a smile.
“I wish I could stay too,” she said.
“Me too,” he smiled at her, and it was obvious the two had a mutual like for each other. “But I understand,” he smiled again, his charm fully on.
“Maziah?” said Val to her.
Before she could answer, another voice spoke. “I think it is an excellent idea.” It was Blok. And that was all the group would ever need. “I’ve told you this war against Mordru would be a tremendous struggle. And I believe your Legion is a sign. This symbol of unity between your Legion and our group is a strong one.” Blok was now upon them, towering over them all, as his proximity to them made them feel his presence strongly. “Mordru is not one person’s enemy, or one group’s enemy or one nation’s enemy. Mordru is the enemy of all that is.”
Val nodded at Blok. “Yes…” he replied, “…and you’ll need as much help as possible. I hope this is settled then.”
“Not by a long shot,” smiled Dirk. “But close enough. It’ll take some convincing for Mon, possibly even Jacquie, but we’ll handle it.”
Maziah at last spoke up. She was very hesitant that others would accept the burden of standing in opposition to her father; and therein, lay one of her struggles: to accept that this was not just her own burden to bear. “Welcome to our group then Val,” she said, more following Blok’s lead than anything else.
----------------------------
Jacquie sat among the great diplomats, in a formal gown, a scarlet red, with that showed off her beauty immensely: spaghetti straps over the shoulders, low cut, that was ankle length. She had spent much of the last two days conversing with the diplomats, moreso Countess Winema Wazzo and Anton Relnic than the others, though they were pleased when she could join them. Here, her political acumen was proven and she could sense a sort of curious pride in Relnic towards her political skills.
She had surmised the following: “The Khund Menace” was not only the topic of the day, but was being decided in these type of backroom conversations. Khundia was a nation in North East Africa, close to Egypt. It was a military dictatorship, and though there was a large Muslim population, the group in power did not include religion in their ideology. They were ultra-aggressive and very keen on showing displays of power, and has essentially been holding the U.N. at bay by claiming it was a subversive foreign power attempting to strip the nation of its own sovereign rights. However, while this dialogue had gone on in recent years (only becoming a heated topic once more in the most recent weeks), Khundia continued to stock-pile weapons and further attempts to enrich uranium. The leader of Khundia, Zaryan, was known as ‘the Conqueror’ for the Khundish defeat of its neighboring countries a half a decade ago.
Yet, while this was extremely interesting, and provided the backgrounds of Jacquie’s first political education, she felt it had little to do with her. Or did it? Mon had warned her about Relnic’s comment to George Whittington, and she had been begun to see the divisions among the politicians and how it connected to the Legion. Winema Wazzo was strictly anti-war and against the invasion of Khundia by any means, believing the so-called ‘intelligence’ about weapons of mass destruction to be false. But she was also strikingly anti-Legion. Not only was she totally against the Legion as a concept because of her own daughter’s membership, she apparently was appalled at the idea of super-powered teenagers having any type of organized basis.
Her closest political ally, Gil’ Deshi, was also anti-Legion. Jacquie surmised that Deshi feared the Legion one day becoming a global police force…or worse, the start of factions of global super-powered armies batting one another. A wise fear to have, but his solution seemed to be quite the opposite: to lock away all these super-powered teenagers until a means to de-power them could be found. But Deshi was fearful of Khundia and had bought into the hysteria. Though he approached the situation from an honest and what he saw as reasonable standpoint, he believed Khundia has continued to go to far.
Maya, the diplomat from Sri Lanka, was the most charismatic of the group Jacquie thought, and perhaps that was because she was very pro-Legion. She liked the idea of the Legion, and she seemed to truly believe in the spirit of what the group stood for. Above all else, she was adamant that the U.N. maintain control of the group, but with a very hands-off approach. She wanted the Legion to act independently without outside control. She also believed Khundia was a threat that had to be faced immediately. She seemed to think that the hysteria created by “The Khund Menace” had some real legitimacy.
George Whittington, the American, was the most pro-Legion of the entire group. He apparently was a major supporter in the U.N. and could give you dozens of reasons why the group should exist, from ideological to practical to scientific to religious implications. But he was also the most adamant that Khundia should be invaded, and here Jacquie understood why these two subjects were not mutually exclusive. George Whittington firmly believed the Legionnaires should be the ones to march into Khundia and “take care of business”. He saw them as an army; a super-powered teenage army with advantages completely in their favor. And she wasn’t sure if he saw the Legion as a U.N. entity, or an American one.
Last was Relnic, whom she could see was truly the master many proclaimed him to be. He had yet to commit himself to any argument, and merely was taking it all in. She couldn’t read him and was sure no one could. In fact, she thought perhaps the reason this gathering was taking place, or at least the reason so many diplomats were here, was to convince Relnic to take their side. Jacquie had already slipped up to Relnic. In private, when they were discussing wines, he had somehow gotten her to admit that almost none of them were actual Legionnaires. Further, he was able to pull from her that they had crossed paths with a few other super-powered persons the United Nations was completely unaware of. He had a directness to him, abrupt even, but while he came across that way, he was actually subtly extracting information out of you. She couldn’t help but admire him on one hand but wish to avoid him completely on the other.
She couldn’t wait to be done with this. Spirit, indeed all of them, owed her.
----------------------
“Now I wish I was staying too,” said Violet, as she hugged Dirk close and whispered in his ear.
“Until next time,” he whispered back softly and kissed her cheek. There was no doubt about it: she now had a little crush on him.
“Cut it out you two,” said Condo with a laugh. They were all gathered here now, and Condo and Violet were saying their good byes and heading home. Blok and Mon-El stood some distance away, while the others bid farewell.
“Thanks for going along with this,” said Tina to Condo. “Just remember, no matter how much Gene yells, imagine what it’ll be like when he sees me next.”
“Let’s just hope its sooner than later,” said Violet.
“Be careful Val,” said Condo to Valor, the implications completely toward Hasim.
“Always,” replied Val.
“Give my best to Lyle,” said Tina and Condo quickly blushed at Tina’s acute sense of the Legion social scene.
“So Tenz,” asked Condo, changing the subject. “Pick a codename for yourself yet?”
“Yup,” he said with a smile. “Matter-Eater Lad.”
“Best codename ever,” said Condo with a smile and he hugged him goodbye.
Dirk whispered to him. “Matter-Eater Lad? Really? You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“Give my sister my best,” said Maziah and she too hugged Condo and Violet. “Let her know I’m well…and I’ll see her soon.” Maziah was hit by a wave of sadness. She missed Nura a terrible amount. She suddenly longed to go with them; to finally meet Imra; to be far away from her father. But no, she could not.
And so Catalyst and Shrinking Violet departed back to New York City aboard the non-ceremonial coach class of Lufthansa Airlines.
[ February 12, 2008, 11:02 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“Man, I don’t know about this,” said the man in the passenger side of the truck.
“Don’t be an idiot,” said the other. “The Dark Lord asked us to escort this phantom lord to Europe, and its worth it do as he asks. We’ll let him wreak his havoc and any of these pups we can bring in ourselves will just be icing on the cake. Be sure to stay out of his way.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that O’Ryan,” said the first man, as he unlatched the truck and opened up the back. There in front of him was the emaciated figure of Jason Blood, who looked at him with a grim look of pure hate.
“Fools…” said Blood. “…you have no idea what you’re doing. He’ll have no need of you. Mordru has power over him, but you don’t. You won’t survive this.”
“Whatever,” said the man, as he suddenly whispered the mantra: “Gone, gone form of man, behold the demon Etrigan!”. The effect was immediate, though this man Jones had no idea that his ‘friend’ O’Ryan the Hunter had run off the minute the truck was parked, and ran at top speed for his life. He knew what was about to happen. Jones was unlucky, as he did not.
The change in Jason Blood was sickening and disgusting to behold. His human flesh burned away and the smell of cooked meat and charred bone filled the air. The man Jones was horrified, and too disgusted to move.
“Stupid little men, Mordru sees wasted; Your flesh my friend, will be the sweetest in an age I’ve tasted”
And so the Demon Etrigan re-entered the Earthly plane, and feasted on the flesh of Mordru’s henchman, before he could begin his reign of terror.
-------------------------
The group all sat in the gardens of the Wazzo Estate, tucked away in a remote corner all the while in the very middle of Vienna. With Valor and Spirit among them, they were even larger now, and Dirk couldn’t help but recall how they all started out in such strange circumstances. Jacquie had rejoined them now and they all together except for Maziah.
“She’s talking to Marla Latham,” said Tatiana. “He arrived in the city yesterday, and she wanted to speak to him about sending a private message to her sister. She’s hoping he can help arrange that.” It had been two days since Condo and Violet departed and Maziah had begun to wish she had asked them to deliver a private letter to Nura; something more than the words she had spoken. Tatiana sipped a cup of the tea they had managed to hold on to from Sakkim. Most of their possessions had been destroyed in Siberia, but Jacquie and Mon had held on to some of them. Chief among them was the tea from Sakkim, Mon’s blue cloak, and “Tenz’s lucky shoelace” which had been with Ten Zil since Korea and which he now believed has some sort of luck to it.
Spirit’s file taken from the Dark Circle was now considered part of this group of personnel items. They hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss it yet, though she was hoping they would soon.
Mon sat next Tatiana silently, as they all relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. Tina sat on another bench with Jacquie and Hasim. Standing in front of them was Val, who was teaching Tenz and Dirk some fighting moves.
Blok appeared out of the Earth next to them.
“Does that ever get normal?” said Tina.
“No,” said Hasim.
“You look uneasy Blok,” said Jacquie.
“Yes,” he replied, and then became silent. This unnerved them all, so that Mon sat up more and looked in his direction. He spoke more. “This United Nations…this European Union…these things have the hand of Mordru in them.”
“Blok, surely you can’t believe that,” said Jacquie. She was actually a bit stunned. “These entities have gone a long way to establishing a new era in the world.”
“There is unity in them, but where you see unity for the common good, I see unity so that when Mordru assumes his throne, it will be all the easier. No, I am sure of it. There is something rotten here. Mordru’s influence is everywhere…”
“We should be protected here,” said Tina, trying to voice some optimism. It seemed like a fair point.
“I do not believe that is the case,” said Blok once more. Tina wasn’t sure if she should be offended, which made Hasim snicker.
Mon-El seemed to sense the words stung her. “Blok is usually right about these things, Tina,” he added.
----------------------------
Marla Latham sat with Maziah and they drank a strong cup of coffee. “I’m more a coffee man myself,” said Marla with a smile.
“Mr. Latham, have you met the Legionnaires yet?” asked Maziah.
“I have not had the opportunity,” he said, “but I have been traveling for some time now. We do have a mutual acquaintance or two, however, so I think perhaps I can help you out.”
As they spoke, they soaked up the scenery of the coffee bar in the lobby of the hotel Marla was staying at. It was largely empty at this time of day, though a fair amount of staff were working all around them. More than usual it seemed to Maziah. Perhaps they were planning for a big event. She felt more at ease than ever…almost tired. “Is there something important happening at the hotel, Mr. Latham?”
“Indeed,” he said. “A once in a lifetime opportunity is about to occur.”
“What’s that?” she said curiously, although over a loud yawn. She was so tired…all the worrying seemed to be doing a number on her.
“The daughter of the Dark Lord Mordru is about to come into their possession of course,” he said and the words at first did not register. “Its not everyday that Maziah bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal walks blindly into a trap without any of her protectors, after all,” he added, and panic suddenly hit Maziah like a bucket of water. Yet, she felt unable to move…incredibly sluggish and tired. “…and the White Witch has been something the Dark Circle has long been after.”
Suddenly Maziah fell over, as if to hit the floor face first. Reacting with amazing speed for his age, Marla was up on his feet in seconds and caught her before she landed. She was out like a light. The coffee had been severely drugged and Maziah was sound asleep. Her magic would be of little help to her now.
The hotel staff swarmed around them, instantly pulling out their Dark Circle symbol and wrapping it as a band around their arms. They picked her up and moved her quickly, aware that either Blok or the others might come at any moment.
One saluted Marla Latham. Marla replied softly: “Long live the Dark Circle…”
[ February 12, 2008, 10:58 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Cosmic Boy's office, Legion HQ
Cos' watch bleeped. Wondering what the hell they were in the news for now, he sighed and turned on the TV... to catch the end of pictures of Spirit, one of the four AWOL Legionnaires, in the arms of a flier he didn't recognise. The ticker on the screen told him not only that the building they were gliding down to was her ancestral home, but that it was currently holding a major international conference.
A rare expletive escaped his lips, before he looked down, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his right hand as his left supported his forehead, while he wondered what the hell Tina had just got them into. Disappearing for over a month without word was bad. Them finding out where she was from the TV was worse. Them finding out from the TV that an AWOL Legionnaire had dropped right in the middle of a major diplomatic event... it didn't bear thinking about.
He hoped to Cheese Gene wasn't watching a news channel. He needed time to think.
As so often happens when luck turns sour, however, it stayed sour. Not only did Gene storm in a moment later, but Irma was obviously watching the news as well and telepathed a «Did you see Tina on the news?!» to him at the worst possible moment, completely obliterating whatever Gene said.
«Hang on...» he thought at her, deciding to brush Gene off for a moment and deal with her first - he couldn't get any angrier. "Look Gene, I've got you screaming at my head and Irma screaming in my head. Give me a moment." And he closed his eyes before Gene could reply.
«I wasn't screaming.» He almost saw her pout.
«Sorry. I needed him to shut up until I knew what to say, and you gave me the excuse. Yes, I saw it. This is going to be fun. Have you got any ideas? Who's with you?»
«Just Garth. And no ideas, I just wanted to let you know. I thought you'd be happy knowing she's okay.»
«I am, mostly. I'm just expecting a few tons of brick to land on us because of this and the first one's in the room with me just now.»
«Do you want him to get a headache?»
«Looks like he already has one. If you want to do me a favour, get Lyle and your pal Dreamer in here once he's gone. I want a word. Preferably before Gene gets hold of them...»
«Alright...» He felt her unhappiness at the last bit for a split second before the link dropped. He opened his eyes.
"You saw the news then?" he sighed at Leviathan, who was now eight feet tall, completely red of face and slowly growing further.
"I saw it on Fox," Gene answered through gritted teeth. Cos filed his remark about not seeing the news then under 'not now'. "What did you say when Norga arranged this little party? 'They'd go crazy if they found out four members of this team sneaked off'? HOW DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO TAKE IT WHEN THEY TURN UP ON INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION?!!!!!!"
Cos wiped the spit off his face and sat back in his chair. Generally, there wasn't any point in interrupting Gene when he was in full 'Drill Lt.' mode.
"Don't think I haven't noticed all the favors you've done for your little friends Kline. Especially working to keep little Norga and Little Blonde Arabic Hood on the team, and especially all the favors you've done for your little girlfriend. Your little raid on the Workforce you got lucky on." When he got angry, Cos reflected, Gene's adjectival range deceased markedly. "Do you have ANY concept of discipline? It's MY ass that gets reamed every time YOU cover for your little pals!"
"Gene..."
"No, no 'Geennee...'. I've had it. I'll have Norga's ass - NOW! He spends so much time on his little side projects he can't even manage one simple little mission. What's he go-"
"Shut. Up." Cos' voice wasn't loud, but had just the right edge to it to stop a raging Leviathan in his tracks. "Start from the end - the Cathingham thing. Lyle said he was given next to no information on their target, and he had an under-resourced team, with two low-powered members including himself, a rookie who might one day be a heavyweight, and a rookie who isn't even a rated combatant against what turned out to be a super-strong, semi-invulnerable opponent."
"That's not the point - failure is not an op-"
"Failure is ALWAYS an option. Not a good option, not an option you aim for but in reality - especially when you go in blind - it is an option. Was my summary accurate or not?"
"I gave him his orders and his team."
"So it was accurate?"
Gene paused before straining out a "Yes."
"Good. On top of that, Lyle says - and from looking over what he was given, and what he found himself, I'm inclined to agree - that capturing a vigilante with no record of causing fatalities or serious injuries does not constitute 'preventing, containing or resolving a serious and immediate threat to life'."
"So you're condoning vigilantism now?" Gene folded his arms.
"I'll answer the question for you then - no. Someone breaking the law isn't enough to activate us. Our mandate was deliberately drawn narrowly as part of the horse-trading that got us a mandate. Someone breaking the law somewhere isn't enough. Would you follow an order to hunt someone down to be killed in punishment for stealing a loaf of bread?"
"I am an officer in the United States Marine Corps."
"No. No, you're not. Not now." Gene visibly bristled at this, but Cos continued, "You're Leviathan, a member of the United Nations' Legion of Super-Heroes. The formal field leader. Any member state in good standing has equal right to call upon us - within the terms of our mandate, of course. We're based on US soil out of a quirk of fate, and if SHIELD ever get their "Helicarrier", we'll probably get moved onto that. Our mandate's the way it is partly because no two member states - hell, no two parts of a lot of member states - have exactly the same laws and punishments; and because no-one wants us invading them at the behest of the US or another country. And if the US can draw upon us any time a law gets broken, any member state gets to draw on us every time any of THEIR laws get broken except when it conflicts with other UN resolutions. Do you want to be following the scenario I outlined any time soon?"
"no..."
"Well then. Maybe you should watch how your own decisions affect your 'ass' before you start with other people's. As for Spirit, I'll get back to you later."
Gene, chastened, walked out, presumably back to his own office. Cos flopped back in his chair, overcome with momentary relief that Gene had left an opening to slap him down about something else, rather than keeping to the point at hand. Deciding a moment was enough, he picked up his phone and dialled an extension.
"Irma, did you get them... thanks. Send them up now."
A few minutes later, Invisible Kid and Dreamer walked through the door and shut it behind them.
"I take it you know?" Cos started. He didn't need to say what. They nodded.
"Well, it leaves us with a problem." Nura opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off - "Nura, I don't care if you know every single word I'm about to say. I want you to stand here and hear me say them." He paused.
"Honestly, I don't know what to say, beyond trying to stress how much damage this is going to do to us as a team. So I'll stick with fact. I just had to sit here and convince Gene to not kick you off the team. Again.
I know you're worried about your sister Nura. And I know you both helped with the Workforce thing, which wasn't strictly legal either. And I've defended you both over this before for good reason - besides anything else, you're both valuable members of the team with a lot to contribute. So I want to ask you two questions and I want straight, honest, short answers:
One - did you have any plan, or intention, that Tina would do this? Two - did you intend, or know, that they would be absent without leave for over a month and counting?
Lyle?"
Lyle thought for a moment and decided to give Cos the straight truth he'd asked for. "No I didn't, and I thought it was possible but not certain."
"Nura?"
"I knew there would be a commotion today, but not what would cause it. I did not, and do not, know when they will return."
"You said 'when' they return. Does that mean you know they will be back safe and sound?"
"No."
"That will be all."
"Cos-" Lyle began.
"All, Lyle."
When they shuffled out a few moments later, Cos slumped back in his seat and sighed loudly. He loved Tina like a sister, and he'd been glad to see her alive and well, but he couldn't save her place on the team, or any of the other AWOL group, if the decision came down to cut them over this, after all their time away and her Very Public Appearance. If it came to that, he'd be as likely to be fighting for the team itself.
The way he felt at that moment, he wasn't even sure he wanted to save them.
In spite of that, though, he thought, he still missed Tina - letting his mind wander back to those early days, too short-lived, when there was just a few of them and there was no Gene or UN to fight with or about. More, he missed Trinity. Not having Lu around was... he'd written her a letter, and she'd written back. But it wasn't the same thing. He knew she needed space after what happened, and he'd taken his Christmas break early to be there when she got back, but... he missed her. He smiled at the circularity of his thoughts and tried to focus on the immediate crisis.
What he didn't know about was the taxi drawing up outside of the building at that moment...
[ February 10, 2008, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“So, Jacquie, we know you have ‘oh so much important matters to discuss’,” said Tenz sarcastically, “but you really need to pick your codename.” He, the Princess and Spirit turned the corner, as they walked through the halls of Castle Wazzo.
Jacquie smiled despite herself. “Tennnnz…” she said, stressing her annoyance. But she didn’t mind, it was good to have them there. She was tired of having to play diplomat for their group. “I’m not sure why Princess Projectra isn’t good enough…”
“Of course you’re not,” replied Tenz, “that’s why we love you. It’ll be up to me to give you one then.”
“What about ‘Sensor’?” said Spirit. Although they hadn’t really had much of a chance to get to know each other, Tina and Jacquie seemed to get along very well. They were both very similar of course: confident in themselves and willing to speak their mind. It didn’t escape Tenz that they were both Princesses of course. Still, they were remarkably different in that Jacquie was epitome of composure and somewhat aloof while Tina was a ‘social butterfly’.
“Sensor?” she replied. “I guess it works for me…if you really think we need codenames…” Spirit and Valor, considering they both already had codenames, were supporters of Tenz’s idea to give everyone one. “What I really need to do is meet whoever passed along this note to me,” she followed up. About ten minutes earlier, she received a note from one of the servants saying one of the delegates wishes to have a private meeting with her. She was inclined to think it was Relnic. Something about the recent day of interaction made her think Relnic had reached his own decisions on both the Legion and Khundia and he seemed to enjoy talking with Jacquie about these heavy political decisions. Dirk said he thought Relnic had a crush on her, which annoyed Hasim and made Val dismiss it outright (“Please!”, she said, “I’m a third his age!”). Tatiana thought maybe he saw her as a sort of political apprentice.
“The hand-writing was female though,” said Tenz. “I have an eye for that sort of thing,” he said, pulling his shades down to his nose and winking at Spirit. It was his attempt to be cool while maintaining his ‘class-clown’ façade. It worked somewhat.
“Oh, I wish you still had the note. I’d be able to recognize Mother’s handwriting pretty easy. I’ve faked it enough times…”
They turned the corner now and entered a large study. There were leather coaches and various shelves full of old books surrounding them, with a little ‘smoking area’ in on the far left side of the room. No one seemed to be in the room. “Hm. I guess we wait then,” said Jacquie. Suddenly she felt an odd sensation, as if her illusion power was working with her directing it. This feeling had happened before on multiple occasions, and usually it meant something wrong was happening. She often wondered what it was…perhaps her ability to create illusions allowed her to see through illusions as well—illusions in all its forms, including lies. “Tina,” she asked, “you don’t think your mother would ever turn against you, do you?”
Spirit turned around ready to offer a quick reply, but hesitated. Of course not, she was prepared to say. But…would she? She sat down suddenly, thinking about it.
“The room feels really hot…” said Tenz, “…and I’m itchy. I don’t feel good…”
“Something is wrong,” said Jacquie. “Something is wrong with this room…”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in this room before,” said Tina suddenly, looking around. “I…I can’t seem to phase or use my power…” she said almost panicky, but sluggishly so.
”’Tis I who insist you do not phase, Though you are not yet ready to place me in your gaze, Many are you in strength and number, Fall now you three, to a wretched slumber
As Spirit and Tenz began to drift to sleep, though terrified and suddenly very sweaty, Jacquie looked up and her mastery of illusion allowed her to pierce the glamour put forth by the Demon Etrigan, who stood now a mere feet in front of her. His visage terrified her, as his oily and scary orange skin seemed to ooze forth and his demonic, ugly face was centered by to dark red eyes that seemed to swim with blood, and a crooked, horrible nose. He grinned at her, showing razorsharp teeth, as she soon fell asleep into a world of nightmare.
---------------------------------
Tatiana and Mon-El walked along the top floors, taking a minute to go out to the various balconies all along the perimeter, giving them an incredible view of Vienna. “Restless again?” asked Tatiana. She wore a black silk button down shirt with a black skirt and heels. The black complimented her new blue skin very nicely.
Mon was dressed in a red t-shirt and blue jeans, with strong leather boots (home made there in a local shop in Vienna). Around him, he still kept his blue military cloak. He seemed to keep it around him constantly, as if the remnant of his ancient days 2,000 years ago provided him some comfort. “Yes,” he said, unable to hold back a smile. “It often feels like things move incredibly fast and then incredibly slow. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do next. I presume Blok is right and I was wrong, that eventually we will have to meet this Legion of Super-Heroes and join with them against the Dark Lord. I’m ready to bring the fight to him now, I suppose…”
“Of course you are,” she said, putting a hand on his face, which made him look at her directly. “But there’s still so much we don’t know about him. I can’t help but think Blok has a larger plan of action…” Between the two of them, there was suddenly a strong heat. A passionate heat. Tatiana had never felt this way about a boy before, and she felt it throughout her entire body. She wanted him more than anything.
And he wanted her equally as much. 2,000 out of time, and he still held his sanity together; it was because of his mission to destroy Mordru kept him focused; but more, it was because of her. He leaned in to kiss her again, and she replied in kind, furiously kissing him back.
They pulled apart and she giggled a little as he smiled.
And then a shot rang out from 200 meters away, as O’Ryan the Hunter fired his lead-cased bullets, (2) of them, through Mon’s old blue cloak, and into his side, piercing into his gut.
Mon fells in pain, suddenly, the lead strong enough to pierce his super-strong skin, as Tatiana screamed. She held him, as he hunched over in pain, and both concern and fury flooded her emotions. She rose, looking in the distance for him, ready for her shadows to attack. “Stay down Mon,” she said.
But the Hunter approached faster now, and had her in his sights.
------------------------------------
The gardens they all sat in a day earlier were calm and serene as a late afternoon breeze blew through, crisp though brief. Blok reappeared out of the Earth to take in his the scenery, thinking to himself what the next step should be. It had been some time since his last duel with the Dark Lord and he must be careful with each step he took. Above all, he must ensure the children, Maziah especially, made every step on their own. He could not force them to act—that was his mistake millennia ago and the outcome caused him great suffering.
Blok overlooked the garden in thought and immediately sensed the presence as another entered the garden, above and behind him in a tree.
“And now the great prince demon of hell is reduced to lowly servant on this plane,” said Blok aloud in his deep, rocky voice.
“ Etrigan is no man’s slave, Mordru will pay for being the slaver; But to assail one such as you is a task I truly must savor”
Blok turned immediately, as the Demon unleashed hellfire from his mouth, scorching Blok’s crusty shell. Blok swung hard, and his strength was that of the mountains themselves, but Etrigan was not of this Earthly plane, and withstood it, offering a blow equally as hard. Both pounded on one another, as Etrigan continued to let loose hellfire.
“Each blow you strike hits like a hammer, But while you look left, on your right is my glamour” spoke the Demon, as his magic continued so suck out all traces of water or hydration in Blok’s form, so that his shell became brittle and sandy. Blok’s form continued to weaken, as the Demon pulled open a bag of magic dust and sprinkled it on him.
You are Mordru’s most hated, and he has prepared for your arrival, I would not put any wagers in favor of your survival he added, as Mordru’s magics worked to incapacitate the giant creature far quicker than he could have imagined.
Unable to speak, Blok only thought to himself “how could I have been taken so easy? Have I come so far after so much time, only to fall so easy now?”
--------------------------------------
“She won’t have anything to do with you, you know,” said Hasim to Val, as he caught Val by surprise in his quarters. Val noted to himself that Hasim, nor anyone, should be able to do that.
“Excuse me?” said Val, though he knew full well what was spoken.
“Princess Jacqueline. She will not be yours.”
“I fail to see how that could be any of your business. Or how you intend to stop her from choosing herself,” Val added. There was no one around this time, and Val had put up with quite enough of Hasim’s back-handed comments.
“In the Gulag, with Nardo and the Dark Circle. I was going easy you know. I had no intentions of really fighting you, only of getting free.”
Val was still unsure if this was the truth. “I’m glad to hear it. Because I certainly don’t see why you and I should be enemies.”
Hasim smiled at him, and the smile was wicked and genuine. “Then you’re just not looking,” he said, but before he replied, Dirk suddenly entered the room.
“Hey guys, have you seen anyone else? I can’t find Jacquie or Tina, or anyone really. Where did they all go?”
And suddenly the room began to darken, more and more, so that Dirk was forced to create a small fire in his hands to let some light in. It was 3:30 in the afternoon, and it should not be that dark. “Something is very wrong,” said Val.
A low, grumbling laughter could suddenly be heard, as Etrigan the Demon entered the room through no door known to man. It grew louder and louder. Dirk turned to and frow, using the light to search for him. Etrigan, with a flick of his wrist, suddenly took hold of Dirk’s fire.
“You are no knight, but merely a squire, Children should know better than play with FIRE!”
Etrigan screamed the last words, and his shriek caused them a tremendous amount of pain, as his hold over Dirk’s power caused the fire to blow up in his own face, knocking him backwards. Etrigan was suddenly on top of Val and Hasim, using his immense Demon strength to bring them down. For the Demon was a prince of hell, summoned long ago to this plane and now under an oath to serve Mordru despite his hate for the Dark Lord. His magic was unrivaled by many of the world’s greatest wizards throughout many an age, and only Blok stood any real chance of defeating him in single combat, but Mordru’s magic saw to that. All three of the young men fell before Etrigan and now all of the Company had been taken.
------------------------------------
O’Ryan the Hunter loaded the children into the truck, all of them held unconscious by the magic of Mordru, as Jason Blood, drained and unconscious slept in the passenger side of the truck. He was bound and shackled, so a potential escape would not happen. It would not be long before the missing children were discovered missing, but their ally among the diplomats would help ease that transition. There were supposed to be eight in the company and they ended up with nine, so something must have gone right. O’Ryan was not given much information about them individually other than Mon-El, which Mordru provided specific ammunition for. Surely he had accomplished everything he needed to? Surely Mordru would be pleased?
The truck left Austria and soon would be leaving Europe all together. Protected by the magic of the Dark Lord, it would proceed unmolested through Turkey and the Middle East until at last arriving at Yemen, where Mordru himself awaited his new prisoners.
-------------------------------------
As the nine companions slept quietly in the truck, Maziah also slept quietly, not knowing what fate had befallen her friends, and not knowing that O’Ryan had failed in his foremost task of securing the daughter of Mordru (although the Hunter did not know it yet).
[ December 08, 2011, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yemen, the Secret City
Hasim awoke suddenly, recalling immediately the last thing he remembered: the Demon Etrigan leaping at himself and Val. He had a large scratch going across his face, from the clawmarks of the Demon, and it burned when he touched it. Infected? Who knew? Scratched by a demon…it was almost too ridiculous to imagine. And here he was again, imprisoned, just as before…
He looked around. He was in a cell…no…a cage? He was in a cage, and there was light at least. He looked around, and some of the others were with him. Valor. Morgna. Kem. Spirit. Good. The last two could easily get out of this cell with their powers. He had lucked out after all. He looked around. The cage (definitely not a cell) was shaped like a birdcage and there wasn’t enough room to stand up. He crawled over to Kem, and slapped his shoulder. “Get up”. Kem began to moan softly. “Get up”. He turned to Spirit. She was extremely beautiful with raven colored hair and pretty clear skin. Very attractive…but he had his eye on one other (where was she? Later…). “Spirit,” he said, a little more gently, “…Spirit, wake up…” He looked out the cage and realized they were suspended up high. In fact, a large rusted chain stretched out above them going high into the ceing.
They were in a giant cavern, not so much a building but almost a cave. And the five of them were suspended in a giant cage, as if they were pet birds. This insult would not be forgotten, Hasim thought, but enough of that juvenile thinking, he needed to focus. They were up high still, so he had to go to the edge of the cage to look down and see below. He did so, and what he saw surprised him. A large army. No, not quite an army, a large gathering of…guards? Soldiers at any rate, with blue and black uniforms, with large guns. They were in formation as if waiting for something. Two sets of formations, parted down the middle, and this parting led to…ah. A throne. A large, golden throne lay ahead of them of, and Hasim immediately knew whose it was. Near the throne, also shackled, he saw two figures: one, a scrawny, emaciated man with brown hair with streaks of white that he could see from even up there. And next to him, it was her. Jacquie. She looked a little worse for wear, but she looked relatively unharmed (so far—no, keep it out of your mind). He was thankful for that, because his rage would be unstoppable if she was not. She looked hurt and exhausted but pretty much unharmed. Her beautiful platinum hair was loosened down her back and shoulders, with her bangs over her forehead. She was staring dead ahead, as if dreading what would be entering the room. Hasim also figured what (you mean who) that would be, but was not ready to move his analysis there yet.
Something moving near the throne. A black cat. Nice touch. Clichéd, but nice. The walls were draped with various standards, many of them ancient apparently as he had no idea what they said and they didn’t look like any lettering he’d ever seen or heard of. Also some armor on the walls, and some swords and spears. Good—if he needed to break free, he’d remind the soldiers below why you do not leave weapons around your captors, even for show. Scanning the rest of the room, he saw no sign of Blok, Tatiana, Monius Elysius, or Maziah. Was Maziah with them when they were caught? Too hard to tell…none of them were actually together.
“Those are Khundian soldiers,” said a voice, and it was Valor. Hasim ignored it. “I recognize them from the news. Mordru has ties to Khundia…?” Val was speaking out loud. “Then perhaps it is a menace…”
At last Hasim turned to him. What was it about Valor that he disliked so much? Everything. “Having you brave Legionnaires with us didn’t seem to do much good, eh?” he said. He half wanted to snicker at himself, but the other half regretted it the minute he said it. Hard to be respected and needed when he acted like a juvenile. “Morgna?”
“He’s okay. Apparently he’s relatively immune to fire because of his powers. The Demon’s blast didn’t seem to do much damage to him.”
Hasim almost added ‘pity’ (he wasn’t fond of Morgna either), but decided it wasn’t worth it. “I can’t see the others.”
Though the room was dead quiet, suddenly the silence became deafening. The air felt as if it was sucked out of the room. Down below, Hasim and Val could see Jacquie look ahead with widened eyes as if she felt nothing but pure dread. The man next to her (Jason Blood, though that was unknown to them) only turned away and a single tear ran down his cheek. Mordru entered his entertainment room.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
As Mordru walked closer to his throne, Jacquie tried her hardest to stare at him, but at last was forced to turn away, despite herself. Out of fear or magic, she could not say why.
Mordru walked closer and sat on his throne. The Khundian brigade saluted him. He made no reply.
“Asmodeus,” he said at last, and the black cat turned to him. “The Hunter, O’Ryan. Have him brought before me.” The black cat ran off suddenly. Next to Jeckie, Jason Blood simply looked down at his shackles. “We have guests today!” Mordru said out loud and his voice was booming—painful almost, to the normal ear. “Welcome to Zerox, the Secret City.” No one made a reply. Up above, all five heroes were wide awake now. “Children,” he said, turning towards Jacquie so his gaze was upon her. He was extremely tall, and well-built, dressed in an open flowing white vest and robes, with a long flowing white beard. On his head was a crown made of Silver with a leaflet in the middle. To Jacquie, he looked 30 feet tall. “You have been mislead,” he said again. “You have been convinced that it was wise to stand in opposition to me, which truly cannot be your fault. After all, you are only children. But by learning about this whole other world you never knew about before, you have thus entered it and become an active participant. And to enter this world in opposition to Mordru, is to ensure a short and painful existence.”
“Jacqueline Proiectra,” Mordru continued, “I know your family quite well. We are old friends and it pleases me to see their line did not die out quietly. Some of your ancestors once stood before, proud, as you do now.” Jacquie at last could match his gaze and look into his eyes, and in them she saw something she had never truly believed existed in the world before. Evil. Pure, utter, madness with the conviction that his way and his words were truly right. Mordru’s eyes revealed his true intentions, that whatever exists in this world should be susceptible to his every whim, and should be a part of an order of his ruling. He stared at her, and though he smiled kindly, she could feel his wrath in this eyes. Still, she stood in her shackles, straitening out, though it exhausted her to do so. “Tell me Princess…where are my daughters?”
She was silent for a few moments that lasted an eternity. “I do not know,” she replied and she hoped he could not pierce her words and discover if she lied. In fact, he normally could do these things, but Jacquie’s power was that of illusions, and it had been used against Mordru for centuries, as it was being used here—successfully.
“Your family has brought me suffering over the centuries and you do so now. You seek to turn my beloved daughter against me; you seek to come between the bonds of family and destroy a sacred link. Your family once robbed me of my beloved Emerald Empresses. Now you seek to continue your family tradition in robbing me of my most beloved.”
Jacquie was trembling. He appeared to grow taller as he questioned her, and she wondered how the soldiers before them all could possibly be able to remain standing for so long. Above her, her five companions were unable to utter a word. “N-No,” she said at last. “You speak falsely. I have no power over Maziah…her will is her own.”
”YOU LIE!” he yelled! “Daughter of traitors and whores, you dare lie to the dark lord!” Suddenly, he raised his right hand up to his own chin, and prepared to swat her with his backhand, which surely would have been the end of her, when suddenly, two others entered the cavern.
It was the mercenary, O’Ryan the Hunter, and the black cat, Asmodeus. O’Ryan strutted in with a smirk, looking up at the cage above him with a smile, then at Jacquie, his eyes lingering on her trembling body. In his mind, he was preparing for rewards beyond measure.
Mordru beheld him with the fury still in his eyes, until at last he appeared to return to his normal, smiling state, suddenly appearing to be normal size once more. “You have done well,” he said soothingly to the Hunter. “Very well indeed. How many did I ask you to bring me?”
“Eight,” said O’Ryan with a oozing pride at himself. “You said eight, but I figured, what the hell right, why not nine?” he added smiling a big grin. His red hair was pulled back in a pony-tail and he had a large eye-patch on one of his eyes. His appearance would be comical if the young heroes didn’t hate him so much at that instant.
“You did indeed bring me nine,” said Mordru, as if he was correcting the Hunter. “You, of course, brought me two that I did not require. You should have realized they had only recently joined this group.”
“Yeah?” said O’Ryan, still not quite getting what Mordru was driving at. “Legionnaires too, I think.”
“So you did know,” said Mordru suddenly, and his smile was gone. “You knew they were Legionnaires and only recently joined the group.” O’Ryan motioned to speak again, but Mordru’s eyes pierced him so hard he did not. “Therefore, you brought me seven of the eight I required, plus two I have no use for.” Now, Mordru walked forward to O’Ryan, directly in front of him. “Seven of the eight, thereby leaving one behind; one who is precious to me; one who is my own daughter, my most beloved, and who I truly wanted above all others. You failed the Dark Lord Mordru, and for that, there is no forgiveness.”
And at a speed none could truly catch, Mordru plucked out O’Ryan’s other eye. The man fell to the ground screaming in pain, cursing and gurgling and choking on his own words, realizing his life would now be nothing but darkness.
“Hasim Diyarbikar,” he said out loud. “You will come down here and execute this man in my service, and for that you will be greatly rewarded.” At once, the entire cavern looked up at the cage and all eyes were on Hasim. He said nothing. “Princess Jacqueline Proiectra owes me a great debt. Her ancestors assaulted my will on many occasions and I, of the ancient tradition, hold her responsible for the actions of her forefathers. The House of Proiectra is responsible for the destruction of my beloved concubines and the loss of the Emerald Eye of Ekron. Should I hold her accountable for these crimes, she will undergo the most torturous death imaginable. That is, unless I choose to have her join Lord Jason Blood here permanently as my newest servant and agent. This will all be avoided unless you do my bidding and come down here and execute this worthless excuse for a man.”
“Hasim,” said Spirit, putting a hand on his arm. “Don’t, it’s a trick, and—“ but he waved her off. Val watched him, but Dirk and Tenz knew in their hearts what his response would be.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Monius Elysius awoke to feel hands all over his body, and prepared to jerk up at top speed and with full strength, only to find he was unable to move. Soon, he realized the hands were not assaulting him, but were working on his side, where his wounds were. They were doctors and nurses, fixing him up. Had he been rescued? He turned to see, and no, he had not been.
The servants of Mordru worked to bring Mon-El back to full health, while magic bonds held him down. Mon looked forward to see he was in some prison cell removed from everything else. Using his super-hearing, he concentrated on voices that he might hear, and suddenly heard the screaming and roaring of soldiers, as well as some crushing blows.
“Monius, after all these years…” he heard.
Immediately he looked up. That voice…? He recognized it. Could it be…? He turned to his left and for a minute he believed he was hallucinating.
“How could it be that two old friends, from an era 2,000 years in the past, could both somehow be able to meet once more?” The soldier was grinning. He was a young man also, though now looked to be about two or three years older than Monius. He was built the same—strong and well cut, a pure warrior’s build. Short hair, in the Roman style, and dressed in the traditional Roman armor, though now a deep purple.
“Dev,” he said, quietly. “Devious Emorius,” he said now. It was amazing. “But how…?”
“I am no mere hallucination, old friend,” said Dev-Em, which was what Mordru called him. “I too still exist in the present day, having lived through all of these hundreds of years.”
It was too much for Mon to take in. “But…Rome? What happened? How?” He stopped asking questions trying to get his brain to process it. “But how could you have lived if you did not survive as I have?”
“I’m sorry the answer still eludes you, Monius,” said Dev-Em, and at last it began to dawn on Monius Elysius. Monius had been the greatest warrior of his age, akin to Hercules and Achilles during the Roman Era of the Emperor Augustus. He was the beloved hero, and a rank and file soldier in the vast armies of Rome. His Centurion was Devious Emorius, who was also his best friend. When the shadow of Mordru began to extend too far, a great unified army was gathered and for the first time, the ancient enemies of the West and East (Rome and Persia), united together to form one great army to combat Mordru. But Mon-El, the great hero, was too much of a threat, and Mordru’s spies poisoned his water with lead, bringing him near death until he could be placed in the Zone of the Phantoms by Augustus himself, and the Persian Diplomat Ralex Jorg. And he thought—Dev also. “But how could you…? How could you serve him…? You saved me…?”
“Saved you? I searched long and far to figure out where Augustus buried you, until I was convinced you were dead. You’re still blinded my friend. I serve Mordru now as I have always served Mordru. As I served Mordru when I poisoned your water and when I believed I had killed you at last. As I shall serve him when it at last becomes my duty to kill you.”
Mon stared at him, and Dev looked back into his eyes. There were no words between these ancient warriors. The ultimate betrayal at last had come out into the open between these once best of friends.
“How will you plan to do that, assassin?” asked Mon-El in contempt. “Attack me now, as I lay helpless in a hospital bed?”
“No, friend. You and I shall fight a duel to the death in front of Lord Mordru and at last we shall know who is superior.”
Mon shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
Dev-Em smiled. He picked up a steel sword and suddenly crushed it into a ball of scrap metal. “Believe what you want. But I have always been just like you. You and I are the same, old friend, with the same abilities. While you stole the glory, I was simply a spy and friend off to the side. But now, I will show you what these abilities are like when used by someone with twenty centuries of practice.”
--------------------------------------
Tatiana awakened at last, covered in the darkness, separated from the rest of them. Unknown to her, she was placed separately in a darkened prison cell two levels beneath them, deeper in the sub-levels of the cavern. The cavern was hardly Mordru’s castle or even one of his regular buildings. But in Mordru’s mind, to allow his new enemies to set foot into his ‘Holy Palaces’ seemed disgraceful. And he had enjoyed sentencing his enemies to death in this cavern over the centuries.
Next to Tatiana was the figure of Blok, which though on the cold cement, used its sentience to draw up moisture through the cracks in the cement from the Earth below and at last restore its body. Foolish of Mordru to once more not act immediately and destroy him outright. But Blok knew Mordru wanted him to see his new allies die first.
“Blok?” she asked suddenly scared. “Blok, where are the others?” There was real terror in her voice, her recent capture by Nardo and the Dark Circle still fresh in her mind.
“They’ve separated us,” he said.
“But…” she began then stopped, until finally continuing “…but why would they put me with you?”
“Because Tatiana, your ancestors have long battled the Dark Lord, as long as almost I, and longer than even Jacquie’s family. Mordru’s distaste for your lineage is great enough to keep you completely out of his sight. When at last he has killed our friends, it will give him the greatest pleasure to kill us two. Mordru sees little difference between you, your grandfather, your ancestors hundreds of years ago, or your great ancestor during the time of Monius Elysius’s age.”
Tatiana was silent at this, and the panic of all that had happened since began to set in. Talking with her friends through their link over the years was amazing: her, Nura, Maziah, Jacquie, Sara and Irma had become a close-knight group of friends. And though she had suspected there was some deeper reason for them all to be connected, she never would have believed it had to do with the Ancient struggle against Mordru. Now all that had happened: from the Emerald Empress, the Persuader, on the run from the Dark Circle, her skin turning blue making her a freak, those bastards hurting her and Tenz, to seeing Mon get shot…it was all so much.
She recalled her recent experience with Nightcrawler and doing the same as she did then, she began to envelope herself in her own darkness. And it soothed her, and calmed her. As she began to relax, she once more heard the whispers…the whispers she had always heard growing up, which once frightened her, and once made her question herself, but now were comforting.
Blok spoke to her: “listen to them Tatiana, listen to what they say…perhaps you are ready for their knowledge and wisdom…perhaps they can help us in our mission, where I have failed us so greatly…”
And so she listened to them, and they grew louder…
“Tatiana,” one voice said strongly.
“Grandmum,” said Tatiana, as Lydia Mallor emerged from the darkness. “I-I’m afraid. I’m so afraid…”
“Be strong child. You are in the heart of the Dark Lord’s lair, but there is always hope…look to your family, for there is always hope…”
And so among the shadows they all began to emerge. Oldest among them, Nommo the Wizard-King at last emerged. “Mordru’s magic is the magic of Ekron,” he began, “and to defeat him with any other magic, any weaker magic, will do no good. No,” he continued, “he must be defeated by his own magic or by other means, such as the Earth itself. You must look back to Ekron, child…” and so he began Mordru’s tale at long last.
[ December 08, 2011, 09:38 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“Ekron?” said Tatiana, to the various shadow ancestors that came forward.
“Hush child,” said her grandmother Lydia Mallor. “He is the oldest among us, and you must respect him as he speaks.”
“She is right Tatiana,” said Blok.
“You can see them too Blok?” replied the teenage hero. “None have ever been able to…”
“But the brotherless one is not like any other”, said Nommo, first among her ancestors, the once Wizard King of Kor. “And it does me well to see him once more,” he added.
“I too, noble King, though I shall remain silent while you consult with descendent.”
Nommo continued. “When the Earth was still young, a great kingdom was upon it and it was filled with glory and beauty. All were in good health and the spoken word was like music. Ekron was the great kingdom, and all that dwelled there were blessed with long life, great mastery over the various arts and the wondrous need to explore the boundaries of the universe, both within us and outside of us. Ekron was the Golden Age of humanity, and the Ekronians were a pre-human race that achieved perfection. For they were not human beings, but the first race upon this Earth, a race born of perfection of the mind, spirit and body.
Their mastery of the arts included the great sciences and magics, and the ability to forge items such as rings, helms, scepters and swords. Epic poetry and song that could take control of one’s emotions. Mastery of the ebb and flow of time. Mastery of the hearts of others.
Yet Ekron was destined to fall, because there was one among them who desired not the expansion of science of magic, nor the chaotic glory of creation. Mordru desired the orderly subjection of these notions. He desired a way to catalogue them, to describe them, to understand them and control them. In his heart, Mordru hated the unpredictable beauties of Ekron. Look child, into the darkness, and see:”
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.
“This is all true, for the destruction of Ekron was disastrous for the Earth, and a second such occurrence would surely destroy the Earth. As I once spoke, the Planet is a living, breathing thing and it was then it produced its greatest son to live and die for it, to rise up and carry on its own sacred mission. I came into existence to serve the planet and restore the sacred order, by destroying Mordru the most orderly and returning the Planet to a time when it no longer lived in such peril, for life cannot live under the boot heel of one man, and without life on the outside of it, there is no life within.”
“And you, ancestor?” asked Tatiana.
Nommo smiled. “I, child,” he began, “I was King of Tor, a kingdom of men in the earliest ages, and though our people feared the great Spider-Devil, known only as Mordru, I ventured into his lands and found the Ancient Paradise we knew of in our legends. It was then that I drank his waters, perhaps polluted by his darkness, or perhaps blessed by the other Lords of Ekron, and received the gift of the shadows, which have been passed down among my line.” Though a shadow, Nommo’s eyes appeared to twinkle at the mention of other Lords of Ekron. The shadows reveal an Ancient Kingdom in Africa, and a great fertile valley where Nommo once drank.
“Good bye now child,” said Nommo, placing his hand on Tatiana’s shoulder, “and good luck.” Nommo drifted away into nothingness.
Another shadow-wielder joined Lydia Mallor, this one Rostam, the great Persian warrior. Rostam spoke: “Mordru’s wicked scheming has continued over the ages, and the son of the Earth has battled him, often with allies. Your line, Tatiana Mallor, has defended the world against Mordru many times since the days of Nommo. In Egypt, while Mordru uncovered the Eye of Ekron within the Sphinx and began the line of Emerald Empresses, your family helped battle against him. He has known many names: Hades to the Greeks, Pluto to the Romans. It was I who fought alongside these Romans, when the two great Empires of its age, Persia and Rome, gathered together for one time to battle Mordru. It was I who knew Monius Elysius and befriended him, and it was I who intended my daughter marry him one day. She would never have the chance—perhaps you, child, will see to rectifying this ages old problem.”
Though in darkness, Tatiana could feel the heat on her face as she blushed.
“Once Monius Elysius was betrayed, more betrayals were to follow. And so you must take that lesson to heart, Tatiana. There are those among you that will fall victim to Mordru’s honeyed words and plentiful promises. You must be wary of traitors at all times. But you must also stand by your brothers and sisters at arms, and trust and love them. For only in unity can you hope to defeat Mordru. It is this balance between the two that you must contend with in your war against the Dark Lord. The great united armies stand against Mordru but are unable to defeat him.
Now Rostam disappeared and Lydia Mallor became the remaining ancestor in the darkness with Tatiana. Blok too, seemed to disappear. “Grandmum…I’m not sure what to do…” she said.
“There are no great secrets to tell you, dear child,” replied Lydia Mallor. “Other than you come from a long line of fighters and warriors, and you must find the strength to continue on and to battle on. You cannot allow yourself to be placed on the sidelines or to be put under the heel of the Dark Lord. You must battle and you must fight. For many millenia, Mordru has used his power to stop the natural growth of human beings so they could not develop the new skills awarded to them by evolutionary change. Yet, we, your ancestors, have battled Mordru nonetheless, often aidless, often within a small group with little chance of success. All of this has changed, as less than (25) years ago, Mordru’s great spell was broken, and man once more was free to develop as it was designed to do. Now there are numerous among you that can stand against him, and you must be one of their captains.”
Lydia became silent. Tatiana was also silent, but now she was no longer worried. Something had changed within her, as she began to understand her true nature better for the first time in her life. She was ready.
“Thank you, ancestors,” she said.
“You are welcome child,” replied Lydia. “Trust in the darkness—when Mordru’s end comes, darkness will be the last thing he sees”
“Remember your cousin Greg,” said Rostam.
“Look to the West,” said Nommo, “your greatest ally remains hidden yet still”
And with that, they disappeared, and Tatiana pulled away the cloak of darkness, and so that once more, she and Blok were alone in the natural darkness of the cell.
“Blok? Can you move now?”
“Yes. I have been waiting for you. It is our time now, lady of the shadow, to go before the Dark Lord.”
“I’m ready.”
[ December 08, 2011, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Welcome Back? Level 1 - The Return
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.
It had only been a few weeks since she'd left Legion HQ, in a haze of helicopter-strewn dust, exhausted at everything which had happened to her, but with the memory of kissing Cos still on her lips. It felt like more than a year had gone by.
Now, it was time to see if she could "go home again", be a Legionnaire again after everything McCauley and Enrapture had put her through. And she was trying to do it quietly - she'd only had one contact with the team in the time she'd been away, a personal (pen & paper) letter to Cos in the middle of her "break" saying (amongst other things) that she wanted to be back before Xmas. He'd written back in turn, basically saying (amongst other things) that that'd be fine, that Gene "understood" that she hadn't wanted to make a scene over her departure, and to get back as soon as she felt up to it.
She didn't want her "return" to be a big thing though. After logging her presence "on-site", she wanted to get to her room before running into anyone. Registering as Active could wait a day - she was in a very "Orange" mood... ________________
Three Days Earlier:
The smell of the stable got her every time, she thought as she saddled her horse, Aladdin. It was about the only thing she could remember of that fateful night three years earlier when, exhausted, hungry and ill, she'd collapsed there and fallen into Raymond John Brande's life. She looked over at her adoptive dad as the old man saddled his own horse, Maria, with the practiced ease that came with so many years of riding. While she struggled to get it right as usual.
Eventually, she made it and they rode out together.
"You've been quiet," he said, breaking the silence.
"I'm just thinking."
"Hah! - lass, I've been around for long enough to know the difference between 'thinking' and 'brooding'. And that's too long to think brooding helps now. What's troubling you?"
"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..."
"And it makes me wonder - how much of 'me' is left? Being split in three tore my mind apart, and Irma had to put it back together when she didn't even know me. Then McCauley and his machine came along, 'helped' by Enrapture, to poke holes about in my brain for them to use. Did Irma manage to put everything they broke back together? What if-"
Brande cut her off. "Lorna, lass, listen to me. You're the daughter I found in those stables three years ago. TOO like her - I've seen you find your confidence, and now it's gone again. If I could pull a bottle of it out of the air for you I would. But I'd know if there was a stranger looking back at me from your face, and talking with your mouth. There isn't."
She looked doubtful. "But what should I do?"
"Whatever you want! Go back to your friends in the Legion! Go to college! Get a job - with me, with Brande Industries, somewhere. The only thing I won't let you do is nothing - you've been at that for a month and you're worse off now than when you started! Do you want to go back to the team?"
She thought of Cos for a moment, then Irma and Garth. "Yes...
"Then do it soon. Please." ________________
She would have made it - having signed in via the back way, via the freight elevator and then straight into the Legion accommodation though the "air lock" - a seal-capable booth with thermal, fingerprint & retina scanners to verify IDs - if it hadn't been for a small, silver ship, whose lack of a mouth never stopped him from running it off...
"HEY, EVERYBODY, LORNA'S BACK!!!"
She split, and Neutral made frantic "sssh"ing motions while Purple actually tried attacking the pest, who stayed maddeningly out of reach as it broadcast her arrival far and wide. She gave up as she heard footsteps approaching, and several Legionnaires appeared on the scene. Lyle was first, as always, then Gene, Shifter & Gear. After giving up, Purple stayed where she was, some paces in front of the other two, while Neutral clasped the handle of their shoulder bag tightly and looked embarrassed and Orange tried to slip surreptitiously behind her. None were quite sure how to react.
After a moment, Leviathan was the one to break the silence, and began spouting off about how she should have called, filled in forms, etc. Just as he started however, any thought of listening to his yammering stopped, as she locked eyes with the entering Cosmic Boy. His gauntlets were off, and his face and hands were wet, but that barely registered as she ran forward, merging as she went, and hugged him tightly.
Lyle placing his hand over Gene's mouth and saying "Look guys, it's obvious she didn't want a scene even if Quislet caused one. Let's give them some privacy, huh?" before filing them out didn't register at all.
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. "I was going to stop by later - well, maybe Purple," she smiled more broadly, "but I didn't want Mr. Telsiuq to get the chance to announce me like that."
"Done's done," he said. "Here..." Cos grabbed her discarded bag by the metal handle, and they walked to her room. __________________
Approaching her room, Lorna split again, with Orange hurrying in, and Purple looking around cautiously as Neutral focused on Cos.
"So,... how have things been around here since you wrote?"
"Hectic apparently. I only got back myself from a week at home yesterday. Since then, there's been a few more bits of fallout from a mission Lyle apparently blew in-"
"Wait - LYLE blew a mission?"
"According to Lyle, Gene set him up."
"That, I can believe." Purple finally entered the room.
"Thought you might, and he might just have a point from what I've seen. It's mostly been that until..." he checked his watch, "...just over an hour ago, when Tina showed up on TV."
"Is she okay? What-" Orange spoke up.
"She looked fine - some guy flew her into the middle of a big conference at her mother's castle." The three Lornas winced - Orange thinking of how Tina had described the Countess Winona's reactions to various things she'd done as a kid; and Neutral & Purple at the potential, political, knock-ons for Cos & the team.
"Gene found out?" Purple asked.
"About thirty seconds after I did. He took it about as well as you'd expect."
"No wonder he was so glad to see me..." Purple replied.
"What about the others?" Orange interjected.
"Nothing. At the same time, Tina didn't look beaten up or unhappy-"
"Tina would look happy after she'd been left to starve in prison for a week." Purple snorted.
"She DOES tend to hide when she's not feeling so happy, and do it well..." Neutral broke in to clarify quickly.
"True, but..." Cos shrugged. "You know as much about it as I do now.
They stood, suddenly, ever-so-slightly, awkward around each other all of a sudden, unsure what to say next, until Neutral noticed a strange greenish blob sticking out of Cos' pocket. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.
"This?" He took it out, revealing the green blob to be one of three small blobs - the other two red & blue, respectively - around a larger yellow-white blob. "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. I was using it earlier, not long before Quislet went nuts."
"Can I see it?" Neutral asked.
"Sure."
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...
And both of them felt the world burn to white...
To be continued?
[ March 11, 2008, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Reboot ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
------------------INTERLUDE----------------
New York City, Legion Headquarters
“The minute they get here, I want them in this office. They don’t even get to go to their quarters,” said Gene at the top of his lungs. “The nerve! To just call us up on the phone and say ‘we’re at the airport and could you send over a car and pick us up because we can’t afford cab fair’!” Gene was screaming at the top of his lungs, which wasn’t unusual, but the subject matter was creating quite a bit of excitement. Apparently, the Legionnaires missing for the last few weeks were returning within the next thirty minutes and it would be quite the sight to see.
“Where’s Cos?” asked Live Wire. “Or Lyle?”
“Don’t even get me started about Lyle,” said Gene. “Where’s Dreamer—let’s get her in here right now, since she’s as much to blame as them.”
Dreamer cringed. “You’re in trouble…” whispered Element Lad, as they were standing around the corner from the leader’s office, listening to Gene’s latest rant. “What are you--?” But before, Element Lad could finish, both were surprised to see R.J. Brande, of all people, turn the corner.
“Nura?” he said. “Can I have a minute with you?”
Nura almost choked on her words, as suddenly the idea of being in trouble with R.J. Brande was something she couldn’t just smile and laugh away. “Uh, sir, I think Gene is going to want to see me in a few minutes…” she said, and Element Lad couldn’t help but laugh.
“He can wait,” said R.J. Now everyone was surprised.
------------------------------
Nura sat uncomfortably in a nice chair in a room she had never been in before. Apparently, R.J. Brande had a nice office on one of the top floors in the Legion’s headquarters, though none of them had ever checked it out (which was odd, because with this group, every inch of the place should have been checked out). “Can I help you with anything, sir?” she asked. Nura was strikingly beautiful, and normally her nonchalant confidence intimidating the others more than a little. Right now, that confidence was uncharacteristically shaky.
“Indeed,” said Mr. Brande, as he sat in another chair, so that they were facing each other. “This will seem odd, my dear. You see, I’ve been having these weird dreams lately, and I although I thought they were at first just anxiety, I’m wondering if there’s something more to them.”
“Oh!” said Nura, suddenly more at ease. “Well, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be sir, since, well, I don’t really have anything to do with other people’s dreams. Its just my own that help me see into the future on occasion.”
“Right, right,” he said, obviously having heard this from someone else a few times. “Still, I thought it was worth taking a few minutes to explain it to you and see if it helps. Either way, it gives you an excuse to avoid Leviathan,” he added, and she smiled at that. All of the Legionnaires who had been around the longest loved Mr. Brande and she could see why.
“What are your dreams about sir,” she said at last, deciding to just play along if it meant she didn’t need to get the riot act read to her yet again for their little secret mission.
“They’re quite odd,” said R.J. Brande, as he talked very low and very slow, making sure each word came out just right so he got across the image he was picturing. He had a very pleasant way of talking, Nura thought, and when he was relaxed like this, it was infectious—you couldn’t help but relax yourself. “Its of a garden, you see…I’ve had various gardens in my homes over the globe, so I’m not sure which garden it is…but it smells beautiful. You can really smell the tomatoes ripening and each time the wind picks up, another wave of the fresh smell comes forth. The insects are buzzing, and although its not a hot day, the sun is beating down just enough to make a nice light sweat come on you. When the wind picks up again, it hits the sweat in a way that feels like you’re truly alive.” Nura could picture it perfectly. When she and Maziah were girls, they often loved to escape to the outdoors to get away from their father. She could almost see herself running around the garden with R.J. Brande. No—not R.J. Brande, with Maziah.
“There’s a wood groove not far off on the side of the garden,” said R.J. softly, “and I can’t help feel compelled to go to it,” he added. Nura felt the compulsion too. She and Maziah walked over, and she turned to see their longtime friends Jacqueline, Tatiana and Irma with them (oddly though, no Sara). “But in the garden…there’s a snake…” said R.J., but Nura could hardly hear him anymore. She was picturing it herself, and R.J.’s soothing voice seemed to take her away to another place completely. They were all laughing in the garden, but that groove was drawing them over there. Maziah and Irma were no longer there, but she was having fun with Tatiana and Jacquie. She was delighted to see how beautiful they both were, as they had never met in person, and she found Tatiana’s blue skin to be very pretty indeed. As they approached the groove, though, a tremendous sense of danger washed over here. There was something awful in there, but Tatiana and Jacquie were still walking towards it.
And she saw it, in the grass: a large, venomous snake, waiting for them to get closer. Waiting, so it could pounce on them and devour them. The snake looked at her, with its little eyes, small black slits on either side, and she realized upon seeing its eyes that the snake was her father.
She shrieked at the top of her lungs, screaming and screaming as tears rolled down her cheeks! The screaming woke herself out of the dream, and she realized she was crying; her heart was pounding, even her head was pounding as a vicious migraine headache set in. R.J. Brande kneeled in front of her and held her tight, hugging her and she hugged him back fiercely. “It’s alright child,” he said softly, “you’re safe, it was just a dream. You’re safe now,” and she realized she was trembling.
“No…no, it wasn’t just a dream…” she whispered. Mr. Brande’s warmth calmed her down some, and as the unfamiliar feel of a fatherly hug seemed to knock her back into the present, as the dream faded away. “I don’t think it was just a dream…” she said.
“Everything is going to be alright,” said R.J. and the firmness and strength in his voice brought her comfort. He seemed sure of it.
------------------END INTERLUDE---------------- Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Yemen, the Secret City of Zerox
In their cage, the heroes sat without speaking. Their powers would not work, and so Spirit, Dirk and Tenz quietly waited until they could think of something to do. Valor also waited, trying to peace together the best method of escape if he could somehow destroy these bars. But what good could it do, if Mordru was down below?
And he remained down below. Hasim had been freed, and to their horror, had performed what Mordru asked, killing O’Ryan the Hunter with one crushing blow. It was a mercy killing, for sure, but it was still murder. When he was done, Hasim looked up at Jacquie as if to tell her this was for her. It broke her heart. She sank to her knees after that, and seemed distant, as if what was happening hardly mattered. She now looked as distant as Jason Blood.
Mordru was pleased with this, and Val surmised it was the outcome Mordru most desired. Mordru sat quietly for awhile now, and Val wondered if he was contemplating what to do with them. Hasim had been taken away from them afterwards to who knows where? At last, he motioned for his feline, Asmodeus to come forth. “The games will continue,” he said, “bring forth the Daxamites.” Val had no idea what a Daxamite was, but he didn’t like the sound of that.
Soon, he realized what they were talking about. “Dev-Em!” yelled Mordru triumphantly, as a warrior clad in purple armor with a long spear, short sword and shield walked into the chamber, strutting forward as if a conquering hero. “Are you at last ready to prove you are the greatest warrior of your era?” Mordru asked, as if having a private joke with himself.
“I am,” said Dev-Em.
“Very well,” he continued. “Bring forth the great Monius Elysius!” Now the heroes all moved to the edge of their cage, in order to see Mon-El walk forward. He still had his torn jeans and boots, but his shirt was long torn off. They draped his blue cloak over his back, and they could see fresh stitches and bruises from where he was shot. He had a very subtle limp, but each Khundian soldier could notice it, so Dev-Em most assuredly did as well. They had given him a spear, but no shield or sword. “And you, Monius Elysius? Are you read to destroy the one who betrayed you two millennia ago? Who betrayed the greatness of Rome?” he added, sarcastically.
Mon-El stood before him, looking up, as Mordru’s glamour caused him to see 30 feet high to the ancient warrior. Mon, took the spear and threw it on the ground. “For you, I offer nothing, not my bood…not even his” he said, looking at Dev-Em.
“Coward!” said Dev-Em, as Mordru suddenly grew in fury, but then calmed himself.
“Go ahead, friend” said Mon-El to Dev-Em. “Cower before your master. Beg for his scraps.”
Before anyone could react, Dev-Em flew at him with super-speed and landed a mighty blow with his super-strength, knocking him into scores of soldiers like a bowling ball into a series of pins. As the Khundian soldiers scrambled, they all picked and punched at Mon-El, more a bother than anything else. Above, the heroes were shocked to learn that Dev-Em was indeed as powerful as Mon-El. Mon rose to his feet, rubbing his jaw, as Dev-Em positioned his spear so that it would stab right through Mon. “I’ve tipped it with lead, Monius,” he said.
“You would,” said Mon-El, suddenly snatching it out of his hand and ripping it to a thousand pieces. He was back on Dev-Em in seconds and the two hammered at each other with super-strength, so that the very walls rumbled, and the cage of heroes above began to swing wildly. The armor and weapons along the walls began to fall off to the floor. Mordru watched clinically with curiosity. Dev-Em then pulled out his sword, and went to stab at Mon-El, but Mon was waiting for it, and pulled the weapon forth, ripping it out of his hands, and hammering a blow on the back of his neck.
Then, in a suddenly display of wrath, Mon-El took the sword and hauled it at Mordru himself! Mordru quickly pointed his hand, and blasted it, turning it to dust, but now his ire was raised. “Insolent whelp!” he cried, “Dev-Em, it falls on you to make him pay for that!”
Mordru’s attention was purely on the battle now, as Jacquie looked up at last, the rumbling shaking her back to normal. Hasim’s actions hurt her more than she could say. But now something was happening. Mordru was no longer looking directly at her, and she felt a degree of freedom. She looked at Jason Blood, next to her, who seemed to be aware of her gaze. “Its useless,” he whispered. “Once he has you, he never lets go…”
Jacquie said nothing but looked into him, and realized what he was. Her power over illusion stripped away the glamour and she knew that he was a vessel the demon Etrigan shared, and at last she realized Etrigan was a prisoner of Mordru just as she was. Using her illusion powers, she placed a hand on Blood’s own hand, extending her shackles the farthest they would move to do so.
“What?” he said suddenly surprised.
And she spoke aloud: “Gone, gone form of man, live the Demon, Etrigan”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The effect was immediate; as Jason Blood’s human form began its hideous transformation once more to the Demon Etrigan. Jacquie suddenly fell backwards and hoped that this was not in vain, that the first thing the Demon did was devour her alive for unleashing him.
Mordru knew immediately what had happened, and turned his gaze on them both, causing Jacquie to feel the heat as if it was burning her skin. “Whatever safety your mongrel dog won you is now lost, daughter of traitors and whores,” he said, as he raised his hand at her.
But Etrigan the Demon was too quick and had been waiting for a chance like this for many decades—to be called forth not by Mordru or Mordru’s servants, but by another.
Mistake you’ve made, Lord of Flies, Held me prisoner and gloated, Lord of filth, lord of lies, ‘tis towards your end, I am now devoted
And with that, Etrigan unleashed all of his demonic might on Mordru and the two locked in battle. In truth, Etrigan was no match for the Dark Lord and could never match him in power or skill, but he was still a demon prince of hell, and could not be easily dismissed. Hellfire sprang forth from his mouth, consuming Khundian soldiers who were in the vicinity, though it had little effect on Mordru. With neither spoken word nor movement of hand, Mordru unleashed his magic back on the Demon.
Not far off, Mon-El and Dev-Em battled each other boldly, attacking with all their might. Mon fired punch after punch upon Dev-Em’s with every intention of turning it into mush. “You were my favorite of them all,” said Mon-El to his former friend and betrayer.
Dev-Em landed a tremendous blow into his gut. “I hated you above all else,” said Dev-Em. “You were their beloved hero and I was nothing to them. A servant of the empire.”
Up above the four heroes again tried to use their powers, but it was no use. “We’ve got to do something” Spirit said, “this is probably our only chance!” Suddenly Val was pushing her and Tenz against the back wall, along with Dirk. Valor focused all of his concentration on his hand, and let loose a crushing blow, destroying the steel bars along the side.
“That’s great Val, but we’re like forty feet up in the air…” said Tenz, but Val suddenly leapt out the cage to the chaos below.
He landed right near Jacquie. “Val!” she said, as some of the Khundian soldiers saw him land and ran forward.
“I’ve got you,” he said, smashing Jacquie’s shackles next so she was free.
Suddenly, a huge blast echoed in the middle of the room, as Mordru nailed back the Demon with his full might, holding him against the wall. With ancient words none could comprehend, he banished him outright, causing the wall to explode around him, revealing a large whole into the city outside, to reveal the morning air and the rising sun.
Val and Jacquie suddenly became very aware of the Dark Lord’s presence close by, and felt an immense terror in their hearts the like they had never felt before. For Jacquie, she suddenly saw her father dying again before her very eyes, and felt the stinging betrayal of Sara. For Val, he felt a sense of letting down his sensei and abandoning his friends in the Legion by staying with this group. Both felt unsure and terrified, as Mordru gazed up on them. For until now, Mordru saw this as simple amusement until he could vanquish the one among them he truly believed dangerous, Blok. Here, the real Mordru prepared to reveal himself.
And it was at that exact moment, that Mordru received a vision from his daughter Nura bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal, the Legionnaire known as Dreamer. Looking to the west, he saw her looking into his eyes, and at last he knew where she was. And he screamed at the top of his lungs or pure rage and anger, or pure hurt and heartbreak, because in his heart he knew Nura was forever lost to him. He looked deeper into the vision and held Nura’s gaze on him and he saw that with her was He who Mordru Hated the Most. Mordru heard His words whisper in his ear: “the fox knows many tricks; the hedgehog one good one.”
And suddenly, with a blinding flash, Mordru was gone. Without a trace, he was no longer there, pursuing a more important plan, pursuing something far more dear to him than this attempt at amusement. He at last could see his daughter Nura.
Jacquie and Val looked at each other with shock, as did everyone else, as Mon-El rose (barely) and Dev-Em rose (also barely) among the troops. Spirit floated down, now able to use her power, as Tenz and Dirk managed to find their way down. They were surrounded by numerous soldiers, when suddenly; two steady streams of shadow burst into the room, and knocked everyone backwards except the heroes. Tatiana Mallor entered, blasting the Khundia soldiers to the side, before blasting Dev-Em squarely in the chest. Dev-Em fell, not only stung by hard beams of solid shadow, but suddenly aware that in the midst of those beams was a long, wooden spear, tipped with bronze… and lead. She walked forward and held up Mon-El, and spoke in a booming voice: “Legionnaires, we’re leaving! Follow my lead!” as they ran out the whole Mordru had created.
The Khundian Soldiers however, were not prepared to give up that easily, and began to open fire.
Under fire, Dirk yelled, preparing to stay behind if need be. “Let me blast them! I’ll cover us for now!”
“No!” yelled Tatiana, “its part of the plan…”
“What about Hasim?” Jacquie said quietly to Val, still shell-shocked by the feeling of dread Mordru had given them both.
“I have him,” said Val, running off to the side around the building to search for him, just in time to see Hasim, come from the corner on his own.
“Go to hell,” he said angrily, “you have no one.” Val was shocked to see him, and Hasim looked quite shell-shocked, so Val didn’t push the issue.
“We better get the hell out of here before Dev-Em and Mordru come back,” said Dirk to Spirit matter of factly.
Spirit, immaterial, tried to direct their fire towards her. “But how are we leaving?” she yelled to Tatiana.
“That’s how!” yelled Tatiana, pointing at what looked to be a giant Khundian military jet.
“Oh, of course,” said Tenz, “I should have remembered that one of us knows how to fly one of those…one of us does know how to fly one of those, right?”
“Not quite,” replied Tatiana, as the heroes all ran towards the military jet. Now the Khundian soldiers moved in a formation, running out on the unpaved roads at the base of the cavern, exposing it for a mountainside that housed a large bunker within, which Mordru used for his ‘entertainment’. As they ran, they did not notice that this large mountainside began to take the shape of a man-like figure, or more precisely, of Blok, as he suddenly became one with mountainside, and with a rumbling noise, caused a giant rockslides into the roads below.
Within seconds, the rockslide began to consume the Khundian soldiers, who were all crushed by the falling debris.
“Now what, Shady?” said Tenz, and the use of her new ‘nickname’ didn’t register with either her or the others.
“The military jet. Inside it. Look…” she showed them what she had found not long ago. “An auto pilot. Its set for Khundia, but it’ll have to do. Its our only chance out of here. There’s no way we’d be safe on the outskirts of this city. We’ve seen a small taste of Mordru’s armies in this city, and they’ll be on us at any moment. And when Mordru gets back...” she trailed off, then turned to Spirit and Valor. “Can either one of you get this going if its on auto-pilot? Because you’re Legion training is what I’m banking on…”
Spirit smiled, hopping into a pilot’s seat as Val hopped into the co-pilots seat. “We can sure try…” They began pressing buttons and doing various things, as the others looked out the windows. At last, Blok began to make his way up, as Jacquie and Tenz attempted to add some speed and tried to pull him up.
Mon looked out the windows. “Dev-Em is still down there.”
“You’ll have your rematch Mon,” said Tatiana, assuredly. She seemed confident and sure of herself, while the others seemed shaken. “We’re going to Khundia, remember? Mordru’s allies.”
“If that was Mordru how are we ever going to fight him?” said Dirk to Blok.
“The time is not now, but a great many secrets have been revealed to us. You are not yet ready to battle the Dark Lord…but perhaps our brazen affront to him will tempt him into committing himself too early…”
Suddenly, the auto-pilot kicked into gear, and the plane began to move. It began to pick up speed.
“Its no use,” said Mon. “Dev-Em will be following us and he can outfly this plane. I’ll go out and meet him half-way.”
“He’s not coming anywhere Mon,” said Tatiana. “I didn’t just hit him with shadows. I hit him with a lead spear. Its time we start playing for keeps too.” Mon turned to her, and suddenly grinned.
The plane began to take off, and suddenly, they found themselves in the air. “Auto pilot?” said Dirk. “But there’s still a chance we’ll crash..”
“Of course,” said Spirit, “but we’ll take care of it,” she said, offering him a smile.
“But where did Mordru go?” asked Tenz, still terrified. Blok said nothing.
------------------------------------------
Mordru was no longer a physical form, but 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.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Plane Ride to Khundia
They all sat quietly as the plane flew the short distance from Yemen to Khundia, now set on auto-pilot. Both Spirit and Valor had some brief training as Legionnaires on how to operate these types of military jets, although their knowledge was the bare basics. Somehow, through luck or some other force, they had managed to do okay so far. Flying there seemed to be no problem at all now that the jet was on auto-pilot. Landing, however, they weren’t sure about. “More importantly,” Tina had said to Val earlier, “what are we going to do when they see us coming, radio back to Yemen and realize this jet has been hi-jacked?” Val figured they didn’t have that much longer to figure that out.
Still, the plane ride seemed to take an eternity as the company remained very quiet and distant from one another. Yet another traumatic battle had occurred in a oddly growing list of them. Jacquie sat a bit off by herself, still feeling the fearsome glamour of Mordru, and still shell-shocked by Hasim’s murder of the man called O’Ryan the Hunter. Her feelings were jumbled and she did not even quite understand them herself, but Dirk, who had gotten to know her better in recent weeks, thought that it was probably the guilt of it all that was weighing down on her. In some way, because Hasim did it to save her life, she blamed herself.
She couldn’t bear to look at Hasim yet. He sat distantly by himself in his own corner of the jet itself. Dirk and he had never seen eye to eye, and to be honest, Dirk didn’t like him very much. But he felt some pity for him. After all, what did they really know about him and his past life? Next to nothing other than what they’d seen in the last weeks (had it been months? Dirk wasn’t sure). That thought made Dirk suddenly think of his own father, and that his father must be terribly worried about him…but he knew that wasn’t true. His father hardly ever spoke to him about the accident. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, was probably worried about him, so perhaps it was time to give him a call. Or at least Gigi, who worked for Wayne and usually looked for Dirk. She was easy enough to talk to, and not too much older than him.
“We’ll need to figure out what to do before we arrive,” said Spirit, now voicing what she had said to Val.
Tatiana nodded. She had suddenly had a resurgence of confidence during the breakout of Mordru’s lair. “Much more than that, Tina,” she said calmly. “Its time we start getting out shit together.” They all looked at her now, as the harsh swear in her posh British accent surprised them. “What we need to do is stop running from place to place, being chased and kidnapped and imprisoned. We know who the enemy is, and we need to figure out what it is we’re going to do about it.”
“Well Shady,” said Tenz quietly, still shell-shocked, “we can’t go fighting Mordru. You saw what he can do. And we don’t know where Maziah is, or what happened to her…” he said trailing off. He was visibly shaken. The toll was beginning to be too much on him. Not long ago, his father had been murdered, just like Jacquie’s. Then he was captured and beaten by that hideous Nardo, and now this.
“I believe Maziah is alright,” said Blok at last. “But Ten Zil is right, it is not time to bring the fight to Mordru yet. He is still too strong. However, you must now realize he fights on a variety of fronts.”
“Exacty,” said Tatiana. “We don’t have to engage him directly. But there is still a great deal we can do. And we need to stop being so scared about doing so.” She turned to Tenz. “And you need to stop calling me Shady,” she said smiling and putting her hands on his shoulders. “My ‘codename’ will not be Shadow Lass,” she said, her voice much softer. “You need to get it together Tenz…” she said to him in a near whisper. “We still have each other, don’t we?”
Mon-El watched quietly, amazed at Tatiana’s sudden confidence and leadership. He watched her, seeing her again as if for the first time and loving what he saw.
Dirk walked over to Spirit and Valor. “Val…” he said in a low voice, “…you experienced whatever spell Mordru put on Jacquie at the end there. Maybe you should go talk to her.”
Val looked up at him, surprised at Dirk’s suggestion. Dirk’s eyes said much more though. Now is your chance to get to know her—and to help her, is what Dirk was saying. Val nodded, and walked over to Jacquie. She was still distant at first. Hasim watched them carefully, surprised at this. Finally Val spoke to her, his voice low enough so only they could hear (other than Mon, who choose not to listen). “It was terrible, was it not?” he said. “It is something I won’t soon forget…” he added, putting an arm around her, to give her comfort. It provided her some.
At the pilot’s seats, Tina now turned to Dirk. “We really need to figure this out…”
“We will,” said Dirk, very seriously. “That file, Spirit, you still have it? The one about the Dark Circle and the Dominion?”
Tina’s eyes went wide. She checked her long cape, revealing to Dirk that within it were various pockets and pouches to store items, and one was big enough hold files and papers. “Yes,” she said, suddenly relieved. “I think it’ll have some important part to play too, even if I still haven’t gotten around to finishing reading it.”
“Me too. And I think its near time we did read it. I think its time we get as much knowledge as possible so we can stop worrying about the past and figure out what to do now.”
Spirit nodded. The “heavy-ness” in the room was still incredibly strong.
“We will need to go to Khundia anyhow,” said Mon-El at last. They looked at him. “Those were Khundian troops, were they not? More than a few of you mentioned this to me. So if Khundia is Mordru’s ally, then there is most likely more going on there that we must understand.”
“I don’t think Khundia is the great menace they politicians made it out to be,” said Jacquie. “Just more attempts to scare the populace for their own aims. I think that’s what Relnic was beginning to realize.”
“There must be something wrong with it though,” said Val. “If Mordru is allied with the country.”
“Scaring the world with Khundia sounds like just the thing Mordru would do,” said Blok. “Giving the world an enemy to unify against, scaring nations into thinking of war…”.
“But why? Sounds like he’d be unifying them just in time for them to rally against him.”
“You fail to realize that most do not know that Mordru exists. Unifying the world into one banner first—and then assuming the leadership of that banner, has always been Mordru’s most useful method of conquering. Mordru is no doubt attempting to create the Khundian threat and therefore create the response from your United Nations.”
“Its not my United Nations…” said Hasim to himself.
“And if the American George Whittington gets his way,” said Jacquie, “then the Legionnaires will be the first line of defense against Khundia—“
“—effectively taking them out of the war against Mordru when the dust settles,” added Val, completely her thought.
“There’s no doubt that Mordru has an agent, or more than one, working within the United Nations,” said Jacquie. “We were set up.”
Tina did not say anything but suddenly hoped desperately it was not her mother. Her mother and she were both practioners of magic…could it possibly be…? No, she pushed the thought out of her head.
“Mordru is attempting to create another Earth War. You cannot battle him. At least not without Maziah.”
“But we can stop his plans in every way possible,” said Tatiana. Suddenly she showed her tiredness, but then did her best to hide it again. “But…where is Maziah? We’ll need her to battle Mordru when the time comes.”
“We’ll need more than her,” said Mon-El. “I was wrong to casually dismiss the Legion of Super-Heroes in our war against Mordru. I told them they did not make it their own, when it already is. Perhaps we should not have been so willing to let Condo and Vi return to the United States. Perhaps we should have prepared them for the upcoming war?” They all thought this over.
“Its something to think about,” said Spirit. “But Val and I can easily try to get back into communication with them again.”
“They have their own holes to jump through,” said Val. “The American President Lex Luthor and UN Secretary General Chu have their own plans for the Legion. R.J. Brande has held them at bay for long enough, and even Cosmic Boy and Leviathan have their own ideas as to what the Legion is and what it can do.”
“Maybe we need an actual delegation to rally the Legion,” said Jacquie quietly, though the idea wasn’t focused on much.
“To Khundia it is then,” said Dirk. “And maybe we can do something about getting us some normal clothes, cell phones, money and oh, some other ‘minor’ things? Maybe even make a few phone calls, get a hold of a few people who might be worried about us?” They all smiled a little. “What do you say, Matter-Eater Lad?” said Dirk with a grin, as Tenz looked up.
Tenz was surprised. “So the codenames are in?” he said. “That makes you Sun—“
“Call me Flare,” he said, still smiling. “What? I knew it was inevitable. I had to come up with something better.”
Tenz suddenly broke out into a wind grin. Spirit too, seemed very excited. Tenz looked at Tatiana. “Shady?” he said with a smile.
“No…” said fake-moaned, and they all laughed.
“Umbra,” said Spirit. “Umbra would be perfect.”
Tatiana looked at her and even though she hadn’t really liked her much up until now, couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship with her after all they’d been through. She obviously had thought of this codename some time ago. “Okay,” was all she said with a half-smile.
Mon-El stood by Blok, the two of them looking at the group as a whole, as they turned to them. “Don’t look at us,” said Mon, speaking for both of them. “You’ve already given us each a name. I don’t think I want yet another one.”
Valor, sitting next to Jacquie, who had perked up a bit, no longer had his arm around her, but still was sitting close by. “Princess?” he said, getting in on the fun.
“Sensor would work,” she said, using Tina’s previous suggestion. Finally, she looked at Hasim, for the first time since Mordru’s lair. “Hasim?”
“Nemesis,” was all he said.
Tenz was still smiling at Dirk. “Guess that makes us super-heroes,” he said with a full-on smile, as he took out his black shades and put them back on.
“I wouldn’t’ go that far…” said Dirk.
[ December 08, 2011, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
INTERLUDES
Previously, in 21st Century Legion…
quote:Originally posted by Greybird: Well, there's also that offshoot of the Ute tribe that lived downwind of the U.S. government's Nevada Atomic Test Site, and got more than a normal dose of radiation. Fortunately, though, rare chemicals in their water supply diverted the particles into having nearly entirely benign effects, and the last three generations seem to have been growing bigger and bigger wings on their backs.
Nobody could take photos of these people, though, as the radiation in the area both made visitors sick and screwed up the film in their cameras. Still, one particular family had also gained what a particularly desperate reporter for the Enquirer mis-described as "psychic powers ..."
Starhaven Reservation, Nevada
Athletic, slim and beautiful, the sixteen year old girl known as Dawnstar continued to surprise Mistrider, her father. In the last two years, he watched her begin changing from the young tomboy into a woman right before his eyes. Most remarkable was she held on to the personality that had defined her all her childhood: acutely intelligent and fiercely combative when she felt threatened or insulted. It was that last trait that fueled her strong independent streak, which he knew would serve her well.
The Indian Reservation known as Starhaven, in the south of Nevada had been in an uproar for weeks now, and the anxiety seemed to be worsening. Another young girl had been missing for some time, Calantha and they all feared the worst. They had requested help from the U.S. Government, but President Luthor was not someone they trusted, since he seemed to show a keen interest in in Starhaven, given the community’s obvious changes as a result of the Nevada’s Atomic Test Site’s proximity all these generations. It was this, Mistrider knew of course, which was responsible for so many of their young to develop such odd abilities and changes to their forms. Although gradually noticeable in the previous two generations, it had been this last one where the change truly took effect. As, most clear to an outside observer, the young Starhavenites had developed actual wings as part of their bodies, which had given them the ability to fly.
Needless to say, the last sixteen years had been quite an adjustment for the community. Mistrider, ever the stoic his wife teased him for, took it in stride and watched in amazement as his daughter and others discovered the remarkable ability to fly. And it had been with great pride that he witnessed his daughter become the most proficient of all of the children, by leaps and bounds. Perhaps, that had something to do with her other natural ability which known of the others shared: her remarkable ability to ”track”. This ability was far more than the word implied, but ‘tracking’ summed up quite a lot of what she could, in that she could sense people and objects immense distances away, and be able to locate them even as they moved concurrently while she was tracking them.
It was with this tracking power, that Mistrider, filled with both a heavy heart and strong feeling of pride, now put the faith of all of Starhaven in his daughter.
“Dawnstar,” he said to her, while others looked on, “it is with great hope that I send you off, to relieve the anxiety of Starhaven and return to us our dear Calantha, who does not have your independence, nor your strength. Because it is with these attributes that you will do well in the outside world and any obstacles you face. Good luck, daughter.”
“Thank you father,” she said strongly, and even her younger brothers Greatfire and Greybird were amazed at the courage she showed.
And so, after some other more private and sentimental goodbyes, Dawnstar left Starhaven and entered the outside world in search of her kin.
---------------------------------
Lyons, France: Headquarters of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
“Interesting,” said Director Zendak, as he browsed through the mass of files on his desk. Zendak had multiple things to concern himself with at the moment, but he couldn’t help but find the information in front of him to be fascinating. (4) Legionnaires had moved across several countries, and at times quite publicly, in the last six weeks. More fascinating, however, was what appeared to be an unnamed group of additional teenagers that had traveled with them during part of this odd journey. And now that two had safely returned to the United States, two other Legionnaires remained behind in Europe (their present whereabouts currently unknown) and therefore, one must assume, with these other unnamed individuals. “Interesting,” he repeated to himself.
Interpol, though forbidden to become involved in a variety of matters, was chiefly concerned with publicly safety issues that moved through a variety of its member countries. And given this group’s apparent track record (India, Russia, Austria, Germany), they may very well fall into that category. Was it enough to justify an investigation to the Secretary General? Zendak thought it was. After all, one of those unnamed teenagers carried the Legionnaire through three different countries airspace. Super-powered human beings were not defined as weapons yet, but that topic was certainly still up in the air. Yes, an investigation on the trafficking of weapons was definitely warranted.
Zendak looked at the names of the agent who had assembled this file. Of course, he had to cut through all the bullshit and departmental politics, eliminating in his mind all the middle management desk jockeys hoping to cash in on this report. He finally settled on the name of Interpol Agent he was most sure assembled the report: Siobhan Erin, from the Sciences Division, specialized in nuclear, chemical and biological terrorism. She would have to get a promotion for having the smarts to notice this, the balls to assemble the report and the initiative to start the process in getting it on to his desk.
Still, she was just a science-cop right now. He’d have to someone with some more experience and authority to handle this investigation. He thought about it for a minute, before finally buzzing his administrative assistant. “Alice, can you call Agent Ontir’s office and have him call me?”
-------------------------------------
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. Unfortunately for his young intern, Marella Tao, she was entering his office just as he did so, and almost catching a pencil in the face, moved out of the way, causing herself to trip in her stiletto heels and fall to the floor, ripping her stocking covered knee with a loud scream.
“Marella!” yelled Jack, suddenly embarrassed by her scream as other interns and co-workers looked into his office to see what the young intern was yelling about. “Watch where you’re going,” he said quietly, running over to offer her a hand to help her up.
“S-Sorry Jack,” she said. Jack Ryder, preeminent conservative news broadcaster on the Fox News Channel was widely known to be intimidating, intense and downright scary. This applied to his guests and other political pundits, but equally so to his friends and co-workers. To his young intern, he was terrifying. Still, the things you put up with to get your career started…
“I’ve got a call with George in about twenty minutes,” he said, immediately getting down to business. “Just a little prep before he comes back on the show.” He was talking about George Whittington, the United States’ UN Representative, who also frequently appeared on his show. “He’s going to be in Europe, so I told him not to look tired when we broadcast. It’ll be something like midnight there,” he added.
“2:00 AM actually Jack,” said Marella correcting him, but he didn’t notice. She sat on his couch, crossing her legs. In her white blouse and black skirt, she looked both professional but feminine and sexy. “And the topic will be Khundia?” she added, causing him to turn around quickly, startling her again. She thought he might yell or explode, but he didn’t.
“Of course,” he said with a sly smile. That devilish grin had been the bane of so many unsuspecting guests in the last decade. It highlighted his best two features: his dashing good looks (which, lets face it, got him ahead of the rest in this business) and his willingness to completely go after someone, even on live television. “Though George brought up an interesting idea. This Legion of Super-Heroes in the news…we haven’t really done much with them have we?”
“Fox has been covering them just about non-stop since they debuted,” she answered.
“Ha!” he replied with a cynical laugh. “Not Fox, us”, which of course meant him. “Its time we did a few bits on them. Looked at it from another perspective.” There was that grin again. “Of course, I think their leader is former military, a bonafide American hero from Iraq. So that’s our go-to boy. Him we can put up in front of our viewers. But really, I want to look at the Legion from the Khundian perspective.”
“The Legion from…the Khundian perspective?” she repeated, not quite grasping what he was saying. She leaned forward on the couch she was sitting on, her legs crossed (pulling her left leg up a little higher to hide the new rip in her stockings), pad and pen in her hand.
“You know,” said Jack with that grin. “Sending them into Khundia.” Now he looked at her right in the eyes, with a full-on smile, waiting for it to register. It did, and in truth it horrified her, the thought of sending the new Legion into the middle of a political nightmare. “Not bad, eh?” he said. But she knew he wasn’t implying the right and wrong of it all. He was implying the outrage, furor, unbridled support, and controversy it would cause. Still, when he looked at her like that, she couldn’t help but admire him. His dedication, his passion, his good looks…
“Should we line up some Legionnaires? See if we can get them on the show?”
“No, no, not yet. We need to know more about them. What are they…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.”
[ March 12, 2008, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
INTERLUDES II
Previously in 21st Century Legion…
quote:Originally posted by Proty II: Carlsbad, California, Jose Rimbaud has paddled his surfboard out to catch the waves. All his friends heeded the reports that advised against surfing in the high storm surf, but "Surfer Jo", as he was known in the community, couldn't resist the swells.
Now Jonah is a pretty strong swimmer, but this morning the waves are pretty strong even for him. He misjudges the wave and it throws him down, deep beneath the surface. For a moment he's too disoriented to know which way is up. He swallows some water and for the first time he starts to think that just maybe he might have made a mistake.
He desperately swims for the light but something seems to be sucking him down. It feels like he's in a whirlpool and darkness surrounds him. GULP.
He's washed up...somewhere...in a dank cave lit by phosphorescent fish. It stinks. It really, really stinks. He notices that the water is acidic and seems to be eating away his neoprene suit. He climbs up on a pile of flopping fish and tries to figure out just what has happened to him.
quote:Originally posted by Proty II: 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. As the Navy doctors who examined him were about to learn, Surfer Jo was now the Boy with Ultra Powers!
quote:Originally posted by Reboot: It was a standard outdoor training day for the Workforce. At that moment, the seven of them were scattered all over the field, Dragonmage, Andromeda and Ultraboy in the air, Polarity and Spark - awkward around each other since the Hallowe'en party - at one end, Reflecto at the other, and Enrapture in the middle, and the first six were practising long-range attacks on a series of targets while Enrapture gauged their responses for report to McCauley later. Simple stuff. Routine - boring even.
It stopped being boring at 1438 hours, when a hail of bullets came from the bushes, with the seven Workforcers in the line of fire. Six of the seven escaped injury. Ultraboy, in flight and thus not invulnerable, was hit by at least four bullets, three glancing blows - one to the head - and one which lodged in his shoulder. He fell twenty feet before landing with a crack.
_________________
"So, Ultraboy..."
"Yes sir - all news of the incident has been suppressed so far, and the surgeons brought in have all signed Non-Disclosure Agreements."
"Any next-of-kin to cause trouble?"
"Not that we've found, sir, although in light of events, we're obviously rechecking. Right now though, he supposedly has fourteen mothers, and twenty-two fathers, half or which watched 'their son' grow up. None are expected to be genuine."
"What is his condition?"
"Comatose. Right now, it's 50-50 whether he'll last through the night, although if he does, the long term prognosis is expected to be good."
Rule #1 of the Streets: Never let them know what you’re thinking.
“Wake up Joe.”
Joe turned to see Dr. Mayavale walking farther down the hallway, only stopping by to yell into his room and then move on to cook breakfast. It worked—he had woken him up. And it had been quite the nightmare. Just like the night before. And every night before that since waking up from his coma. Those nightmares, he knew, were the price he had to pay for violating the code he had always lived by. The rules of the streets.
Over ten years earlier, José Rimbaud learned the lesson he’d never forget in the back streets of Compton, California doing whatever it took to survive. When you’re the child of mixed parentage, including white, Hispanic and Asian (in Compton, further specific designations don’t really mean much), you have it especially tough. Too bad those parents never bothered to stick around and lend him a hand with the problem they passed on to him. But you survive.
At age 11, he made his first drug deal and thought maybe life would be easier if he could get this kind of money. When he forced to explain this to a cop, the cop laughed, smashed him in the nose, breaking it, and took all the money he earned. Stupid. Never let them know what you’re thinking.
At age 13, his enthusiasm for acting, and the idea that he could move to Los Angeles, which was so close consumed him. Consumed him to point where he told his girlfriend Ana Maria that one day he’d be a Hollywood actor. The other Emerald Dragons didn’t like this kind of pansy talk. They gave him the beating of his life. Never let them know what you’re thinking.
At age 14, when Sergio, his best friend, was shot dead right before his eyes, José had fully learned his lesson—he didn’t let anyone know what he was thinking. He got the hell out of there, and relocated. Yes sir, to Carlsbad, the prettiest place in the world. And would you know it? He could act after all. “Surfer Jo” was born. Everyone loved Surfer Jo. The Laguna guys couldn’t believe his athletic ability and he lent them a kind of street cred they could only dream about. And the girls—the girls! The girls loved him, ‘nuff said. Surfer Jo, it seemed, had things a lot easier than José Rimbaud. Still, sleeping on the beach and making sure no one knew you were homeless, not to mention scrapping for food…well, hey, it wasn’t Compton.
He got comfortable. And all too quickly he forgot. So what, things became completely out of control and crazy? Giant dragon-type sea-beast swallowing you whole? And you live? Rich billionaire named McCauley offering you something you’ve never had before in your life—money—and you get to be a hero? A celebrity? You always thought you could be an actor, so hey, here was the celebrity bit with it too. One of the most beautiful girls you’ve ever seen, and she wants you? Man, this is the life. Stupid, José, really stupid.
It caught up to him of course. Used like a plaything by the telepathic whore. You might have survived the streets of Compton alright José, but you won’t survive the WorkForce—bullets to the face make sure of that, as the little street-urchin is shot after all. He got comfortable. He got cocky. He let them know what he was thinking.
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
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
AUSTRIA: Near the Austria/Hungary Border
WAKE UP..
Maziah’s head felt heavy almost bloated even. She kept trying to force her eyes open, but she felt so tired. Had she just heard a voice? No…no voice. Footsteps though. There were people around here. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide, as she remembered exactly what happened! She tried to scream—but her mouth was gagged. Some type of cloth duck-taped around her mouth. Her her hands were bound behind her back, as were her legs. She had been tied up tightly and neatly.
Her hands and mouth were rendered useless. Which meant she couldn’t cast her spells now. Some wizards, of course, did not need to use such tricks to focus their energies. The most powerful, like her father, need only think their spells to make them. She was not quite there yet, though all the mages who had ever laid eyes upon her knew this would not be the case for long. But she was still a young girl, no older than fourteen, and she had not developed her abilities quite that well. She was trapped. She felt unharmed and saw she was still in the same clothes as before, with a thick wool blanket over her, covering her lower body, as she was strewn about on the floor.
Mr. Latham! How could he? They trusted him! He seemed so caring…so nice. So fatherly. Maybe that’s why they all trusted him though. Her friends and she were a little short on fathers.
She looked around as the blurriness began to go away, and saw the people walking around were members of the Dark Circle. That had a specific look about them, and Maziah recognized it instantly now. Sometimes they wore their odd masks, with a purple “0” painted on the forehead, but most of the time they looked like normal people. Usually they were dressed in purple and black for some odd reason, whether business suits, military uniforms or some other odd reason. Generally she could spot them now. Except, of coruse, Marla Latham.
Her ears were picking up voices all over as the various Dark Circle members talked to one another. There had to be at least a dozen of them. Closer to eighteen actually. Twisting and turning, she could see Marla Latham not too far off. He was also dressed in a black military suit, with a purple vest, which in Maziah’s mind, made him look extremely odd. They were in some warehouse or factory, and it had a dank, rusty feel about it. She had no idea how long she was out. Marla Latham was talking to about five other Dark Circle members of various races. Within moments Maziah realized they must be the top ones here.
The Dark Circle. Who were they? What did they want with her? She listened as best she could…straining…but barely registering. She needed a push…she thought about her spells, about heightening her senses. Suddenly she inhaled the deep scent of rust, shocking her system, but then it quickly faded as the voices became more audible.
“---told you already Latham, we’re going to move her immediately. They want to see her and get her far away from the Dark Lord before he realizes our game. An agent just reported that he took her friends captive two days ago, so you know he’ll soon realize she’s missing. We have our one window of opportunity here. We need to get her across the Ocean to one of the American continents and soon.”
“I’ve told you,” said Marla, “you had better check with your superiors about that again. You know how they feel about her. This has been a top Dark Circle priority from the moment we learned of the daughters escaping from Zerox. She has her own plans for the daughters of Mordru. Best we don’t screw them up.”
The other Dark Circle captain seemed to hesitate. Finally he grinned. “You know as little as I do,” said the Captain with a smile. “We have no idea what they want with her.”
“Obviously, we can use her against Mordru,” said another Dark Circle member. “That must be it.” Ah, Maziah thought. So the Dark Circle are no friends of Mordru after all. Quite the opposite in fact.
“What about the other daughter?” asked Marla. “I assume they want her too.” Maziah suddenly felt panic hit her from every angle. Nura! They were talking about Nura! She must be in terrible danger too. She was scared to death of what was going to happen to her, seeing as these people hated her father so much, but the thought of something happening to her sister…it was awful…
“Right on, they do,” said the first Dark Circle Captain. “She’s just as important to their plans. They’ve got someone close to her now. But she’s surrounded by a bunch of super-powerful teenagers. Ha! Not an assignment I’d want to have!”
“None of our concern, really,” said the second Captain. “Let the American agents deal with that. You did well Latham,” he added. “You caught the daughter of the Dark Lord single-handedly when its taking an entire task force set up in Queens to get the weaker one.”
“Queens?” said Marla, curiously. His voice had gotten much lower suddenly and his facial expression changed. Maziah could see, her eyes letting her gaze at him in ways a normal person’s could not. Unaware that she had indeed cast a spell to heighten her senses, she could almost feel the change in attitude in Marla Latham. A sixth sense, one that predicts danger, had begun to emerge and it was pulsating now. Marla Latham was dropping his façade. “So they’re much closer than we thought…” said Marla slower.
The other Dark Circle Captains looked at each other puzzled. “None of our concern, like I said,” repeated the second Captain, realizing he had spoken out of turn.
Marla looked up and flashed them a smile, his face returning to what it was. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said, still smiling. With dazzling quickness, he suddenly lifted his hand, revealing what looked similar to a gun clip, with a red button at the top. He pressed the button.
BOOM!
Suddenly an enormous explosion ripped across the area not far from Maziah! It blew back half-dozen Dark Circle members, most likely killing them all, as the fire immediately began to spread. Maziah covered her eyes and ducked for cover, but the explosion did not reach her, coming just short. She fell over, feeling the heat on her skin, and her eyes were right in the of sight between Marla Latham and the Captains.
Marla’s hand dropped to his belt holster and came back up at a speed she could not believe. He was in his late 50’s or early 60’s, yet he moved as fast as a teenager. No—faster. Faster than anyone she’d ever seen save Mon. He moved like Val. His 9’’ Beretta pistol was in his hand in half-seconds, and he aimed it at the first Captain, firing a round into his chest, then turning to the second and doing the same. He dived to his right, doing a summersault, turned around and hit all other four in the head before they could pull out their own guns.
He picked himself up, and ran towards Maziah.
Her heart was beating hard and she felt the gag and binds choking her and cutting off her blood flow more than ever. Marla pulled out a switch blade from his side pocket, and with a flick of the wrist, it was open. The way he moved so fast and determined, but yet so confident and nonchalantly gave her a terrifying feeling. Was he coming over to kill her? He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her on her stomach. She wanted to scream. She was so scared…she was just a little girl still…
He cut the ropes binding her legs, freeing them, and as the blood rushed back to them, she felt a very sudden, piercing pain. Then her hands, and she realized she was free. She scrambled to get on her feet, but he grabbed her closer and pulled off the gag. She heard shots being fired. There were still Dark Circle soldiers all around them, now regaining their composure and realizing they had been fooled and attacked. The fire raged on hotter and hotter.
As the gag came off, she screamed a little, just wanting to get away from Marla. Gunshots rang out again.
“Maziah!” he screamed, but she looked away. “Maziah!!!” She tried to think of a spell…”Maziah!!! I’m not here to hurt you! I’m here to help you! I know you don’t trust me! But I need your help!”
She looked at him directly in the eyes, and shivered with fear. A gunshot rang out, just missing her head and Marla’s shoulder, and she saw it hit the wall in back of him. “I need your help,” he said again. She stared at him, and she could see he was equally as scared. She nodded, turning. Still shaking…she took in what she saw. She was terrified…but she was still the daughter of Mordru…she was still “The White Witch” as she was called when she was a child…and she could still protect herself without her father’s, or anyone’s, help…
A flickering white light sparkled within her hands, as Marla looked on. Thirty feet away, the remaining Dark Circle members scrambled for the best cover, to get the best angle for a killing shot. They were panicked now too, and that fear would drive them to even risk killing Mordru’s daughter. Because that was what they feared. They feared what they all had been told she could do. The flickering white light grew larger in her hands, and then began to grow smaller. Suddenly she pulled her arms back, so they were stretched backwards to the wall behind her, and then with a flash, clapped her hands together making a tremendous sound.
White light filled the room, with a huge thunderclap, so loud it shook the very foundations of the building. White light spread out in arc across the room. Suddenly, the fire went out. Each Dark Circle man still alive fell to the ground, knocked back by the sheer force of it, suddenly falling into a deep slumber.
Maziah fell backwards now, the spell draining her fully. It had taken a lot out of her, and she was already still exhausted, hurt and feeling the effects of the drugs. She leaned forward as nausea hit. Too powerful a spell to use yet…she over-extended herself. Marla caught her as her legs buckled. “I’ve got you,” he said now softly in his more fatherly voice. It was his regular voice after all, Maziah thought.
“You’ve done well, and I’ve got you.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“You drugged me...” said Maziah, at last regaining her strength as she sat and looked up at Marla.
“I’m sorry for that, truly,” replied Marla, as he tied up the remaining Dark Circle members, all of whom were in a magic slumber and would not hear a thing. “But it served a variety of purposes, the most important being getting you away from your friends.”
“What?” she said, suddenly looking up. She suddenly remembered what the Dark Circle Captain had said about her friends being captured by her father (back before Mr. Latham killed him). “What do you mean? Has my father got them? Oh no…”
Marla looked up, finished tying up the Dark Circle members, and there was a trace of sadness in his eye. “I had no choice Maziah,” he said. “We can’t let your father get ahold of you again. If that occurs, that’s the end of it, there and then. Our one window of opportunity, for who knows how many hundreds of years, gone. I wouldn’t live to see another chance. If Mordru regains you, you’ll never leave Zerox again. And you aren’t ready to face him yet. None of us are.”
Maziah was confused, and suddenly angry. “So you drugged me? I don’t know what you’re even talking about. My friends are in trouble! Jacquie! Tatiana…all of them…”
“Blok is with them. We can only hope for the best. You all have shown you have a knack for escaping incredibly dangerous situations. Let’s hope it sticks. But probably the biggest chance they have of escaping is the fact that you aren’t with them. Otherwise he’d kill them all and be done with it, because he’d have what he really wants. You. Now he’ll need to use his trickery to get your location out of him. And from what I’ve heard, his tendency for cruel amusement may cause him to take his sweet time. That’s their only shot.” Marla now began looking around the room, seeing what was available. “We don’t have much time. We definitely need to leave soon, and I can get us out of here. I have a plane standing by. A little one. As you can see, my Dark Circle cover is blown…”
“So you were part of the Dark Circle?”
“Maziah,” replied Marla abruptly and looking directly into her eyes, “I have just blown fifteen years of work and cover. Fifteen years of infiltrating these slimy bastards so I could ensure your safety and find out as much as I could about your sister Nura and the danger she is in. It was worth it, I believe. So yes, in that sense, I am a member of the Dark Circle. But as you can see,” he added, pointing to the dead bodies of ten men, “I have never really been a member.”
Maziah was so confused. “But why--? I still don’t understand how you’re involved in all this…?”
Marla pushed some crates out of the way, and saw a stack of boxes and other crates, separate from everything else. “Ah.” He walked over. “These are what the Circle was able to get from all that McCauley mess…” he said to himself, “…there should be a few things here we need.”
“Who is ‘we’?!” said Maziah louder. Her patience was running thin.
“Do you know who RJ Brande is, Maziah?” asked Marla.
“The main who helped start the Legion? I think so…from what the Legionnaires told me.”
“He’s my employer. And he’s a good friend,” said Marla Latham firmly. “And I’m glad he’s finally let me drop this Dark Circle cover. I’ve been working for him for over twenty years. If there’s anyone alive who has the best interests of humanity in his heart, its RJ. He is the ‘we’, as I’m arrogant enough to count myself with him. I guess I *am* getting old…” he smiled to himself, pushing away some more boxes. At last he seemed to find what he was looking for: a very large crate, about six feet tall.
“Who are the Dark Circle?” asked Maziah. She wanted answers now.
“They are a secret organization that do not have humanity’s best interests at heart. They hate your father and consider themselves his enemies. They have a keen interest in you and your sister. However, where RJ and I think you can be of great value in the battle against your father, and now with the Legion’s creation, be a larger part of this new movement, I also believe the Dark Circle’s motives concerning you and your sister are much more sinister than simply that. They are complicated, and their an old organization and I don’t have time to explain it all. But I promise I will sometime soon. Here, come help me,” he said, as he took off his purple vest, looked at it in disgust, and tossed it to the side. He found a crowbar not far from where they were and walked over with it. “Hold the box. I know you’re still weak, but this will only take a minute. I assure you, when I was younger I was very strong and dashing and handsome.” He put the crowbar in and began opening it.
Maziah looked at him and felt relieved that her initial instincts were correct. There was no doubt he was super-intelligent, crafty, even slightly manipulative. But he was kind and he was a good man. She held the large crate for him.
“Aargh!” he said, putting his strength into it, and the crate opened. Inside was a statue with some dust on it. “This comes from the offices of Leland McCauley. Be glad you never met him,” said Marla. “The Dark Circle was able to get hold of some of his belongings after his recent ‘fall’. Too bad for poor Leland, but too good for the Dark Circle in my opinion. I’ll be glad to get this off their hands,” he said, wiping away the dust and pulling the statue out. “I think you’d agree too, old soldier,” he added, speaking to the statue.
Maziah examined it, and it seemed to be a statue of just a boy, albeit in a costume. Maziah had trouble telling if it was solid gold or bronze or a mixture of both. To be honest it was a very odd metal. It read: "CORPORAL RICHARD BARNES. BUCKY. A HERO TO THE END."
quote:Originally posted by Reboot: McCauley sat up and pressed a button on his wristwatch. Five seconds later, a lilac-skinned elven girl appeared.
He uttered the single word of command "Home," and closed his eyes as she threw a spear at him.
He felt a slight thump, and found himself on the chaise-longue in his anteroom. He stood, and walked through the corridors of his home until he reached the door to his garden, which he proceeded to walk through. He then walked through the immaculately-trimmed garden to one very special statue.
Few knew of the statue's true nature. Fewer still knew of it's location. He had first heard rumours of its existence some years before and spent a good deal of time, effort and money to acquire it, and he visited it often to relax.
The inscription read simply:
"CORPORAL RICHARD BARNES. BUCKY. A HERO TO THE END."
And what an end, eh, he thought - not for the first time, patting the statue's arm before turning away.
Marla looked at it for a long time. “At last,” he said with a smile. “I never missed reading a story or watching a show about you,” he softly spoke to himself. He turned to Maziah. “Maziah, you need to close your eyes, right now,” he said abruptly and it shocked her a little. Before she could answer he said, “Just do it. Try to trust me, please,” he said, knowing he didn’t deserve that trust right now. “Do you feel it?” he asked. She didn’t reply, unsure of what he meant. “Do you feel it?” he said again, this time slower.
“…” she remained silent. “Yes,” she at last replied. “Magic. I do feel the magic here. Something is wrong with this statue.” Marla was quiet now. “Its not a statue at all, is it?”
“No. No, its not.”
“It’s a boy. A little older than me, but still just a boy. Frozen in solid metal. Gold, perhaps. Something unnatural.”
“Correct. Can you--?”
She was quiet. “Yes,” she said at last, and began to concentrate. She focused and tried to understand the nature of the spell that did this.
“Both of you stop what you’re doing right now,” a voice said. It was terse and stern. But it was a young girl’s voice. “I want to know where a young winged girl named Calantha is, and I want to know right now. I tracked her all the way here.” And so the girl named Dawnstar arrived.
[ March 11, 2008, 07:54 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
“I don’t know who you are, or what it is you’re doing, but stop it,” said Dawnstar. She had traveled across the entire ocean to get here and was completely exhausted. Yet she had done so showing incredible courage and strength. But now that she was face to face with these two people, the sixteen year old girl within her began to emerge. She was really scared.
Surely her father hadn’t intended her to go this far. But she wanted to surprise him. She didn’t want to return empty handed and let him down. So she continued on, traveling farther than she had ever thought in her life, to the country known Austria.
“Where is Calantha?” she asked again, this time even more fierce, but her voice was still shaky. She was prepared to move quickly and fight if she had to, but suddenly she wished she had a weapon.
“My dear,” said Marla sadly, “I was hoping to find her here, but I could not. She’s not here any longer. The Dark Circle has taken her somewhere else. I’m sorry,” he added.
“I-I tracked her here!” she yelled back. “You’re a liar!” She immediately used her tracking powers to find the trail once more. Almost immediately, she found he was right. She was here, indeed. But she had moved on since. Her trek across the Atlantic Ocean had exhausted her beyond all measure. She had gotten sloppy as she approached and did not pick it up. The trail was actually a few days cold. “No…” she said, and exhaustion began to set in. Despite herself, tears flooded to her eyes, but she forced them back.
Marla walked forward. “I looked for her,” he said softly, his stomach heavy out of pity for the young girl. She had the spirit of a warrior—and Marla would know—but she felt like an utter failure right now. “And I’ll keep looking,” he added.
She looked up. “Who are you?” she asked. Then turning to Maziah. “And you? Who are you?”
Maziah smiled slightly, pulling her robed dress more tightly around herself. She sighed softly. “I’m tired too,” she Maziah replied.
----------------------------------
An hour later, introductions had been made and stories told. Marla kept a close eye on the Dark Circle members, but they did not stir once. They were in a deep slumber via magic—they wouldn’t overhear a thing. Still, time grew short. The Dark Lord would be looking again soon.
Maziah sat with Dawnstar some more. The winged Native American girl had regained her composure and both girls looked more at ease now that someone their own age was with them again.
“When they came into possession of McCauley’s “items”, I knew they picked up the winged girl and Bucky here. Yet another bird to kill with this stone, Maziah,” Marla added. “I’ promise I’ll keep searching for Calantha. But we need to move now, and quickly. There’s no way we’ll get this statue to my little plane. You’ll need to work your magic, Maziah.”
“I never believed in magic,” said Dawnstar, now that she heard a good summary of Maziah’s story.
“You will soon enough,” said Maziah. She began to concentrate on the statue of Bucky.
Less than ten minutes later, the young soldier known as Bucky began to thaw, as the metal dissipated as if it was water. Soon, his flesh could be made out, though he was still. All three watched earnestly for any signs of life. At last, still unconscious, the figure known as Bucky sucked in air, replenishing his lungs for the first time in decades. The magic spell was broken.
“Bucky lives again…” said Marla.
[ March 12, 2008, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Budapest, Hungary
Marla Latham smiled and handed Maziah a cup of tea, while giving Dawnstar a cup of coffee. Both thanked him and he smiled, preferring coffee today, though he was a steady drinker of both. He’d tried both practically all over the world at one point or another after all.
“How’s he holding up?” asked Maziah, pointing over at Bucky, who was looking out the window. Bucky had returned to the living half a day earlier and had said very little. It was all still too new, too hard to imagine for him. In a way, he reminded Maziah of Mon now. He was a man out of time, in a world that in his mind, had probably gone crazy.
“He’s adjusting. He will be for awhile. I’m taking him back with me, with the Others.”
“Others?”
“You’ll meet them very shortly,” he replied. “They’re on their way now.”
“You must have a lot of money to afford this hotel room,” said Dawnstar, looking around. They were in an opulent suite at one of the fanciest hotels in Budapest. What the young girls did not know was Marla had stayed her many times before and the hotel gave him a strict ‘don’t ask questions’ attitude to his odd comings and goings and occasional guests. He was comfortable here, at this centuries old hotel.
“I do,” he smiled. “And this is my last stop before I head back to the United States, so I don’t mind enjoying some comfort before the long flight. My work here, though never done, accomplished a great deal.”
Maziah seemed troubled by this. “Where are you going, Mr. Latham? What about…all my friends? And everything that’s going? Its all still so confusing. I don’t know what to do next.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” said Marla, half-smiling. “Ah, our guests are here.”
“Maziah!” a voice yelled suddenly. She turned, as Bucky jumped in surprise and prepared to fight and Dawnstar rose. It was Baksheesh, the young boy in India known as Kid Psycho. They had been terribly worried about him ever since they were forced to leave earlier. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“I’m glad to see you too,” she smiled, hugging him. He was only about 11 years old. She looked to see the others with him: a blue-firred teen who looked like a demon, who she immediately recognized from Tatiana’s story: Nightcrawler, Kurt Wagner. A young African girl no older than Baksheesh whom she did not know, who Marla introduced as Ivy. And at last, a woman and another young boy, both Korean, who she barely knew, but could recognize instantly. Her heart sank and she suddenly missed her friend so much. Just so she could tell him that his mother and his brother were okay. Without a doubt, this was Sun and Renkil Kem. She walked over, a tear falling down her cheek and hugged the mother. She hugged her back, and all she thought of was her son
“How is Ten Zil?” she said in Korean, but Maziah’s spell was still active and she understood. Sun Kem was a Korean-American Nurse who had come back to the country of her parents and married Ten Zil's father.
“He missed you so much.”
Sun sniffed as tears fell down her cheeks. “I’m so glad he’s alright,” she said at last, “I was so worried…”
Marla Latham smiled and then spoke in flawless Korean: “I told you Sun He’s fine, and he’s with friends.”
“Are you going with Mr. Latham?” asked Maziah.
“Yes,” she replied. “Renkil and I were in great danger until Marla came along and rescued us. We have nothing left in Korea now that my husband is not with us anymore. So we are going with Marla to the United States.”
“We all are!” said Baksheesh.
“Where in the United States?” asked Dawnstar, surprised at all these people. “Where could you go? To the Legion?”
“Not the Legion,” said Marla smiling, “though RJ Brande is making sure we’ll be alright. We’re going to San Francisco to an old friend out there named Mayavale. Think of it as…an Outpost. These children,” he said, pointing at Renkil Kem, Ivy and Baksheesh, all of whom were not yet teenagers, “are far too young to be caught in the war with Mordru. Yet, because of what they can do, they already have. But I’ll take them somewhere safe.”
“I vil go with him,” said Nightcrawler attempting to speak English, “and maybe I too will become more comfortable…with my appearance…” he finished, looking into a mirror in the room.
“There’s a place for all of you,” said Marla, now looking past Nightcrawler towards Bucky, who turned around.
Bucky said nothing still. He was dressed in the same military costume he had on in World War II when his accident occurred. He pushed thoughts of the accident out of his mind. “I’ll go, if that’s what you’re asking,” said Bucky. “The war is over, I guess. There’s no reason for me to be here anymore. I want to go back to the United States.”
“Fair enough,” said Marla.
“So you’re bringing everyone to the U.S.,” said Maziah.
“San Francisco.”
“I wish I could go with you,” she said at last. “But I can’t.”
“I know you can’t,” said Marla with a sigh. “But I want you to know Maziah, that you have allies. Friends even. There are people who will aid you in your battle against the Dark Lord. I couldn’t let you meet him yet, but the day will come when you must. And when it does, I’ll be waiting to join you, and so will others. I have many things to attend to,” he smiled, nodding towards everyone else, “but we’ll meet again soon enough. When you meet your friends again, you can tell Ten Zil his mother and brother are safe. And some other friends along the way will be with friends in our little Outpost. Hopefully you’ll drop by sometime.”
Maziah looked down. She tried to smile, but she was saddened by this.
“You won’t be alone,” said a female voice, coming towards her. It was Dawnstar. Maziah was surprised. “I know we’ve only just met and I barely understand who you are or what you’re doing. But I can’t help but feel I met you for a reason. Like destiny brought us together. Maybe by sticking with you, I’ll find Calantha. If not, I don’t want to have flown across the planet for no reason, only to meet a new friend, however briefly, and then abandon her when she needs me.”
“Dawnstar, you don’t have to—“
“I can help you find your friends. I can track them. I can at least do that for you before I return. It’s what I do best, so I’ll gladly help.”
Maziah smiled. “Okay. I accept your help.”
“Maziah, Dawnstar,” said Marla, “I’d like you to meet someone. This is Ivy,” he said, pushing forward a timid African girl. “She’s from Nigeria, and she’s very special too.”
“Hello,” said Ivy, as Maziah’s spell worked its magic over language. “I can talk to the plants,” she said. “Marla wanted me to tell you I can talk to the plants.”
Maziah smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
“Are you the White Witch?” she asked now.
Maziah was shocked suddenly. “How do you know that name?”
“He told me. He told me to give you a message. Are you the White Witch?”
“I…I am,” she said, nervously. “Who told you?”
“Blok did,” she smiled. “Blok always tells me things. I talk to him all the time. He is the plant’s older brother. I like Blok.”
Relief hit Maziah like a bucket of cold water. “I do too,” she said smiling, then quickly adding, “where is he, Ivy? Where is Blok? What do you have to tell me?”
“Blok says he needs you. He needs you to go to him now. He’s in danger…they all are…he says your father is…is…I don’t understand the word. Mobeling?” she asked Marla.
“Mobilizing,” said Marla, suddenly grim. “Mordru is mobilizing…” he said softly to himself.
---------------------------
“There they go,” said Dawnstar, as she and Maziah watched a plane take off from Budapest International Airport, making its way towards the United States, with Marla Latham, Sun and Renkil Kem, Baksheesh, Ivy, Bucky and Nightcrawler all on board via the political pull of Marla Latham and RJ Brande.
They were quiet. They were two (16) year old girls, with what felt like the entire world poised against them.
“Are you ready,” said Dawnstar, looking for the trail through her tracking power. They prepared themselves to leave, with Dawnstar holding her friend who magically made herself weightless and gave Dawnstar added magical endurance.
Maziah hesitated. “Yes.”
[ March 12, 2008, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Khundia: Part 1
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.
Their arrival to Khundia was not easy and not without clamor. After all, the Khundians had been alerted to their coming. But through Jacquie’s illusion powers, Tatiana’s darkness and Mon’s super-fast flying skills, they arrived in relative safety and quiet, far ahead of the plane, which was subsequently blown completely out of the sky by a Khundian missile. She knew the normal rank and file Khundian military soldiers assumed them to all have been killed (and she could not believe at just how many of them there were). But she also suspected, and was really quite sure, that the higher ranking Khundian Officers, and certainly their General, Zaryan, knew they were not so easily destroyed. Ipso facto, Mordru knew quite well they were alive. But thinking non-stop about the Dark Lord did no good, as these past few days had taught her, so she pushed him out of her head.
Since meeting her new friends, they had been moving at such a fast pace that she scarcely had time to breath. Life hadn’t exactly slowed down but she’d had more than ample time to process everything and losing Vi and Condo had augmented that feeling greatly. As she had a few moments to herself now, she suddenly couldn’t escape the feeling of loneliness that had taken over her. She was lonely. She missed her friends in the Legion, particularly Lorna, Cos, Irma and Garth. They had been the earliest Legionnaires and had stayed very tight from the get-go. She suddenly felt very guilty leaving in the way she did and then not returning. She knew they probably felt a little hurt by it, and she regretted that. But her decision to go and then stay was one she thought was the right thing to do. She felt she really could help and contribute in stopping the major problem that was Mordru. All she ever wanted to do was some good, and to contribute something to the greater good. She wanted to help…and in the big picture, didn’t that mean something? She hoped they understood that. Both her friends in the Legion and her new friends here.
Sometimes she felt like she wasn’t fitting in, and that was a feeling she’d never had before in her entire life. Being popular had never been a problem for her. The opposite in fact; often, she was what someone might call the ‘most popular girl in school’. Lorna would laugh and say she took over that role in the Legion pretty quickly. But now she was worried these new kids might resent her for that. Certainly, her and Tatiana had gotten off on the wrong foot. Was there an attraction to Mon-El that she felt? Sure. But she hadn’t know about the obvious feelings Tatiana and Mon were developing for each other, and she backed off from that right away.
She sighed. Come Tina, get it together. You didn’t stick around here to be Ms. Popularity: European Legion Division. You stuck around because you thought the Legion needed a role in this battle against Mordru.
She missed her friends though. A lot.
-----------------------
Spirit floated down to the abandoned bunker below to see Valor teaching Dirk and Tenz some more fighting moves. In the corner of the room, Hasim watched quietly, not joining in or saying a word, and in the opposite corner, Jacquie looked through the file Spirit had found in Siberia, at the Dark Circle gulag.
Val nailed Dirk fist with a slap of his hands, knocking him off balance and making him fall forward. Hasim let out a loud laugh, just loud enough to annoy Dirk. Tina pretended not to see, so Dirk wouldn’t be embarrassed. Dirk got up, looking frustrated. He put his hand up to hold Val off, who came over to make sure hew as okay.
“You okay, Dirk?” asked Tenz.
Dirk was quiet for a second. “Perhaps that is enough for today,” said Val.
“We need to figure out some way to get in touch with our parents,” said Dirk finally. “Prepaid cell phones are a good idea, but you can’t find them in Khundia. I need to let my Dad know where I am,” he said. Dirk was uncharacteristically frustrated and distracted. Tenz didn’t blame him. They had been here for a few days now, living out of this abandoned bunker and stealthily searching for information and clues to anything on Mordru they could find. They had little success—after all, they hardly knew what they were looking for.
“We talked about this Dirk,” said Jacquie. “Once we leave Khundia that will be our first priority. But while we’re here, there’s really nothing we can do.”
“I know Jacq. But what are we doing here? We’re in a foreign country with a genuine military dictatorship. With a real war criminal calling the shots and soldiers everywhere we look. You and Tina go out at night and do whatever it is you do, while the rest of us stay in here hauled up day after day doing nothing. What is the point of us being here?” His voice was becoming louder and sharper. Jacquie had viewed Dirk as probably her closest friend of the group besides the telepathic circle of friends she’d had all her life, and his tone of voice stung. She couldn’t help it, but her facial expression showed she was taken aback. Perhaps because she had no real answer to him?
“Dirk…” said Tenz, sensing the tension rising and trying to stop it.
“Forget it,” Dirk replied. “Look, I’m just tired. I’m going to go for a walk…”
“Do you want me to come with you?” asked Spirit, since they had created a rule that Jacquie, Tatiana or Spirit should accompany anyone going outside because their powers could be useful. The minute she asked it, she knew it was a bad idea.
“I’d rather you didn’t,” he said firmly, and walked outside.
Jacquie throw the file to her side, now also sharing Dirk’s mood. They all were quiet now, but the silence had a heavy feeling to it. Val sat next to Jacquie, pointing to the file. “Getting up to speed on our little mystery?” he said, changing the topic.
Jacquie shrugged. “Trying. It doesn’t make much sense.”
“What has these past few weeks? Months even? The world is a different place in the last year.”
“That’s for sure,” she replied, now half-smiling. “I keep rereading the lines about Mordru putting a spell on all of humanity that stunted the evolutionary growth of mankind for centuries. The concept is just too large to comprehend.”
Spirit joined them. “The breaking of the spell is just as odd.” They looked at her, unsure of where she was going with it. “Obviously, it was broken, right? That’s why we’re all here with our powers. “So what broke it? It says this Dark Circle group, and some other group known as the Dominion (apparently based out of South America) worked together for years trying to break the spell and succeeded somehow, around 25 years ago. Or at least started working together 25 years ago. I would assume it took them some time to do it, so the spell itself would be broken a few years after…”
“At least you have some experience with magic,” said Tenz to Tina. “You’re used to it as a concept. I never really believed in it. That is, until Mordru grew 30 feet before my eyes and a demon from actual hell (which I guess really exists) attacked us.”
They were quiet now. Jacquie sighed now loudly. “Oh, what are we doing here?” she said out loud. “What is Mordru trying to accomplish with Khundia?”
“Only one way to find out,” said Spirit. Jacquie nodded. Once more, they prepared to snoop around the city.
[ March 11, 2008, 06:14 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Khundia: Part 2
3 Years Ago
“Dad,” Dirk said enthusiastically into the phone, “you’re not going to believe this! I’m in London! London! Its so cool! They want me to do this new show. Some fashion guy wants me to the lead boy in the runway. They said they’ve never had a lead male model that was this young before. Can you believe it?”
“That’s really great Dirk,” said Dick Morgna into the phone. “I’m glad you’re having fun it. But honestly son, I have to go. I’ve got work to do. Enjoy all that model stuff.”
“Okay, sure Dad. I’ll try to call you again tomorrow—“
“Tomorrow won’t work Dirk. Why don’t I just call you. I’ll be traveling all day tomorrow, and then meetings all day Tuesday. I’ll call you.”
“Oh, okay Dad. How will you know where I’ll be?”
“Dirk, I’ve got to go, okay? I’ll figure it out. Gigi will take care of it. Look, gotta run. Bye.” Click.
“Okay dad,” Dirk said into the phone, not having the heart to look up at the people surrounding him in his room, waiting for him to get off the phone and get back to work. “Bye…” he said, holding back the tears.
Half a world away, Dick Morgna poured himself yet another scotch and drank in his office with the lights off. Talking to Dirk was the hardest part of his week. He didn’t think he could keep doing it.
Dirk quietly ducked into an alleyway, doing his best to stay in the shadows. He was wearing the discarded military uniform of a Khundian soldier, which was black and dark blue colored, including boots, pants, a shirt, a vest, a jacket and beret. Still, he stuck out like a sore thumb with his pale skin. Most Khundians had skin color closer to Egyptians than anything and Dirk was half-Czech/half-American (re: WASP). Mainly, he wanted to just get some air, not spend time playing spy games.
He knew hew as being a little unreasonable and juvenile but honestly, didn’t he deserve to be a little? Didn’t they all? What the hell were they doing here? Yes, he knew the danger the entire world was facing (which was still too much for any of them to wrap their heads around), but at the end of the day, he was still a fifteen year old kid in a group of kids of similar ages, discounting the 18 year old warrior of 2,000 years ago and the rock-monster made out of the Earth. Truth to be told, it was getting to him. Traveling around the world from place to the next? He’d been doing that already these past three years. Being with this group of kids? It was an incredible experience and he was loving every second of it. But it was the weirdness. Everything being so far from normal.
“Be patient Dirk Morgna,” said a voice, as Blok rose from the dirt near Dirk, making him difficult to see in the shadows, though still gigantic to Dirk’s trained eye. It was Blok’s ability to rip forth from the Earth, using the area he came from as an extended shell of himself that they found unnerving. As if each time he re-entered the Earth, his body was left behind as an empty shell, and when he reformed, he created a new one from whatever was available there. Perhaps that was what was happening, Dirk thought. It was still slightly unnerving though they came to trust Blok.
“I know Blok,” said Dirk softly. “It’s just…I wonder, is anyone even looking for us? What if we’re killed here, in Khundia? Will anyone ever know? Spirit and Valor’s Legion buddies would come looking for us. But what about the rest of us?”
“I understand,” said Blok calmly. “Its natural to consider who may be considering you.”
Dirk laughed a little at how Blok had phrased that. “I tried to call him, you know,” he said at last. “I called him when we were in Austria. My dad. I wanted to let him know where I was. I couldn’t get a hold of him. His assistant said he was busy. Too busy to take my call, even though I hadn’t talked to him in weeks. Months now, actually. When I told her that they didn’t need to worry anymore, she told me they didn’t know there had been reason to worry in the first place.”
Blok said nothing.
“Not only did he not know all that I’d gone through, he speaks to me so little that he didn’t realize anything was out of the ordinary.” Dirk looked away, more annoyed at himself than anything. “I have nothing to complain about really. Jacquie and Tenz’s dads are dead. Maziah’s is the evil Dark Lord. I don’t even know anything about Val, Hasim or Spirit’s. At least I still have mine.”
“You talk to me as if you’re trying to convince yourself of something Dirk,” said Blok.
Dirk was silent. He understood Blok was right. “He just stopped caring after the accident. I remind him of failure or something. Honestly, Bruce Wayne is almost my Dad now…he’s the one who supports me and makes sure I’m okay. Or at least, the girl Gigi who works for him does. The one person in my life who cares about me, and I’ve never even met her face to face. I shouldn’t have even bothered to call my dad. I should have just called her. I could have gotten us phones or ipods or something.”
“Dirk,” said Blok now, in a much sterner voice. “All of my many years I have seen a recurring theme in your kind. You have a family you are born with and sometimes that is more than enough. But there is also the family you create. Only you have the choice in how define what a family is.”
“I wish there were Legionnaires here!” he suddenly heard a voice yell. Panicking, he realized he wasn’t exactly being invisible. As panic set in, his power began to work on his own, and he realized he was starting to give off extra light. Quickly, he took control of himself.
“What was that?” he heard another voice say. The voice was young—his age. They were looking in his direction. “It looked like a light,” said the voice again. This particular voice sounded very young.
“Stop being scared of the dark, coward,” said another deeper, gruffer voice. “Little Flederweb gets terrified late at night,” it now said with deep laugh.
“Leave him alone Blood Claw,” said a female voice now. There was anger in it.
Suddenly, the very large figure known as Blood Claw leapt at the only female, as they all came into view. Blood Claw back-handed her, aiming for her face, but hitting her in the shoulder and knocking her over. “Don’t you ever dare speak to me again in such a tone, female. You and the spider are both lucky we tolerate your presence.”
“Enough Blood Claw,” said the one who first spoke about the Legionnaires. He, apparently, was their leader. “Veilmist and Flederweb are not worth your anger. Save it for the Legionnaires. Zaryan doesn’t believe they were killed and neither do I. I hope we find them. Then they can see Khundia has its own Legion of Super-Heroes.”
Flederweb helped Veilmist up from the ground, and the two tried to keep some distance between the other two. Once again, Dirk was thankful that Maziah’s spell was as strong as ever and he could understand them. He followed them from a distance and watched what this ‘Khundian Legion’ was up to. They were his age, with perhaps their leader, whom Dirk later learned to be Firefist, being about 18, which was Mon-El’s age. Both Firefist and Bloodclaw were hailed as prodigies by the rank and file Khundian soldiers, but he could see Flederweb and Veilmist were treated with contempt. Firefirst had a dangerous look about, and his eagerness to meet them, whether he mistook them for Legionnaires or not, worried him. Blood Claw was larger and equally as dangerous looking, though Dirk hated him instantly on sight. Another large bully, though he could tell the boy was terrified of Firefist in his own right. Flederweb was the smallest of them all, and had an awkward way about him. Blood Claw had called him ‘spider’, so Dirk began to notice that Flederweb did, indeed, have many spider-like qualities. But something in the way he moved suggested to Dirk the boy was both terrified of his surroundings and being forced against his will to be part of this group. Just like the girl, Veilmist. Veilmist was largely covered in a pretty pink robe with a hood, but it was not a burka. She was beautiful, with dark black hair, but she was covering up most of her features. Undoubtedly, Dirk thought, because this city seemed largely to have men all over with few women on the streets. They did not seem to treat her well. Not well at all.
“They too have abilities,” said Blok. “I can sense it in them. Like you, they also have been put in the midst of a larger political game, as various entities try to use them as pawns in a larger war.”
Dirk followed them farther, though Blok stood where he was. Dirk turned back to him. “Who are they?” he asked.
“You know as much as I,” said Blok.
“The girl, and the smaller one. Veilmist and Flederweb. They’re different. They’re being treated differently. You can see it in the body language of the other two. And the soldiers on the street. Why, you think?”
“You know why, Dirk,” Blok now replied.
“They’re born different. One because of his race and the other because she’s a girl. Born different…”
“Its where they’re going Dirk that matters. Not where they are from…” said Blok, and Dirk ignored the comment. He followed them now, moving farther than Blok, to see Flederweb moving off on his own, crawling up the side of a building like a spider, which Dirk found entirely odd. Firefist and Blood Claw seemed to making some motions towards Veilmist, but she pushed Firefist back and suddenly disappeared in a flash.
“Teleporter…” he whispered to himself, and he could see the other two were angry.
“You’ll be mine soon,” said Blood Claw with a loud laugh.
Dirk saw a flash above, as Veilmist appeared in her room. This must be where they stayed. Dirk couldn’t help but feel something…alluring about her. He’d always had a thing for the ladies…and suddenly thinking about a girl seemed to take his mind off his father, as it always did in the past. He moved closer to the building, and thought suddenly he was making a bad decision. Then he smiled at himself. And proceeded anyway.
He moved into a staircase to see some others in a kitchen down the hall. This was a living quarters for soldiers, but with the Khundian Legionnaires in the top floors. Great, he thought. His powers were not suited for stealth. Still, as luck would have it, no one happened to be around to see him.
Down below, Blok allowed this to proceed without a word for or against it. Things must happen in their own way.
At last Dirk got to her floor, and knew which room was hers. He moved to her door and saw it was cracked open. All their doors were. They must not be allowed to shut them. They’re too much a liability. Inside, he could hear her. She was crying. Softly, but he could make it out. Life must be hard on a young girl here, Dirk thought, but tried to clear the horrible image that followed in his head.
What was he doing? Something. Anything. He pushed open the door. Suddenly she turned, and pulled a knife out of a holster on her leg he hadn’t seen, pointing it towards him. She moved lightning-fast.
“Veilmist?” he said softly, walking in quietly and then shutting the door behind him. “Something tells me you hate it here just as much as I do,” he finished.
She looked at him sharply, thinking of a thousand options of where to go. But at last curiosity overtook her. Dirk read her right after all.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Khundia: Part 3
Spirit’s power to phase through walls, which she had been accustomed to almost her entire life, gave her an underlying confidence in everything she did. It wasn’t so much the idea that she believed she couldn’t be harmed, though certainly that was part of it. Rather, it was idea of accessability that excited her. There was no where she could not go if she set her mind to it. Princess Jacqueline’s illusion powers, which also allowed her to comprehend truths, also gave her a similar confidence. As the two girls now worked together, as they had each night for the past two days, they enjoyed the comfort their quiet camaraderie was bringing. Both their powers based in magic, both their skills based in stealth and subtly. Jacquie used her illusion powers to mask her presence as she moved through the city and into military buildings, and Tina was always just ahead of her, phasing into walls, doing her best to stay unseen. Occasionally Tina would smile back at her, a quiet understanding between them.
“Well, I think we’ve found it,” said Tina. “The headquarters and offices of Zaryan the Conqueror”, she finished, saying the last part of Zaryan’s moniker with a slightly humorous deep voice.
“I think so too,” replied Jacquie. “From what I understand, as much as the United States and United Kingdom loathe and fear the man, the other countries here in North Africa and the Middle East hate him much worse. He’s a psychopath on a power trip with no qualms about putting entire countries at war.”
“Makes you wonder if the Legion shouldn’t be involved in matters like this,” said Tina, “or if maybe it’s something we have a duty to be involved in? Besides a wealthy group at the top, Khundia is largely impoverished. Women have almost no rights. The state controls all property. Violence is an everyday occurrence…”
“So you’re political, Tina?” smiled Jacquie.
“Must be a family thing,” Tina sighed. “But the big question is, before we head in, what’s going on with you and Val?”
Jacquie suddenly blushed a shade of crimson. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, c’mon Jacquie!” she started to get louder but then kept her voice to a whisper, “its obvious there’s some type of ‘thing’ going on there. At first I wasn’t sure if you were with Dirk, or Hasim, or no one, but well…now, it certainly looks like you like Val. He sure likes you.”
“He told you that?”
Tina giggled. “I don’t think Val would ever tell anyone anything like that. But I’m a girl who knows these things.”
“Well Dirk is my friend. He needs a nice girl though. If you’re interested.” Tina giggled again. “Hasim…I don’t know what to think of Hasim. I’ve never met anyone like him. So dark…sometimes I think he gets a bad rap among us. Sometimes I think not.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“Val? Well, the whole ultimate fighter thing is pretty sexy. Don’t tell anyone I said that of course.”
“Of course. A Princess couldn’t think such a thing was anything less than primitive.”
“Of course,” laughed Jacquie. “Now, do you always gossip like this just before we enter the personal office of a mass murderer/dictator?”
“Yeah, usually,” Tina giggled again.
They moved through the building, seeing various soldiers and doing their best to stay hidden. Khundia had no short supply of soldiers. How could they not? There was a permanent draft in place and it was the only way for a young man to get any type of start in Khundia. Business was run by the state with profits allocated to the state. Even if you were successful, it’d all be taken from you.
“We understand what Mordru is trying to do with Khundia,” said Jacquie to Tina. “Dirk knows that and thinks its enough. He’s creating fear and anxiety in the whole world by creating this Khundian Menace. Both figuratively, in the minds of the western world, and literally, here with his supply of weapons, money and magic. Does Khundia really have a chance at hurting the U.S., or Europe even? Not really, no. But with Mordru backing them they may. But knowing that isn’t enough. We need to know what exactly Mordru has planned for Khundia. If he’s trying to get the U.N. to invade, he can be stopped diplomatically easy enough. If he’s trying to actually start World War III then we better find out how.”
“The war room is up ahead,” said Tina, phasing forward and then coming back. “I better not risk going in there again, or I’ll be seen. Wait until see Zaryan. He looks terrifying.”
“I’ll put an illusion over both of us,” said Jacquie. “You know Tina,” she added. “I’m starting to think it was a poor idea to let your friends go home so easily. We simply parted ways and that was that, though I’m very glad you and Val decided to stay.”
“I bet,” smiled Tina.
“No, honestly,” said Jacquie smiling back. “You’ve been a great help and well, it feels good to have a real Legionnaire with us. But this war with Mordru…its more than just a battle between Blok, Maziah, Mon and a few others against the ages old Dark Lord. The entire world is in danger. Perhaps the entire world should be gearing up to fight? Maybe we should have had Condo and Vi return with the intention of rallying the Legion?”
“Trust me, rallying the Legion is a lot harder than you think,” said Tina. “Cos is a great leader and without him I don’t know what we’d do. But our other leader, Gene, sees the Legion as something completely different than what it is. Which doesn’t really matter anyway, because in order for the Legion to go on missions, there is such a hassle in getting things done. Cos is under such a huge strain, and that’s even with RJ Brande and General Secretary Chu adding their political support. I don’t even know if Chu fully supports us actually. I know we have to cut through all this U.N. red tape, and then there’s the United States wanting to approve our every action because we’re on U.S. soil…”
Jacquie could see it was something Tina, and most likely the other Legionnaires, had been bothered by for quite some time. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” she said quietly. “Sounds like political hell. But it could be done…you just need the right people on your side…” Jacquie was thinking. “Of course, finding out who those people are could take some time…”
“Rallying the Legion will definitely take some time. Convincing the U.N. that there is an ages old Dark Lord in the Middle East, of all places, and we should send the entire Legion of Super-Heroes, plus some other super-powered non-registered teenagers out to meet him will take an eternity.”
“Not if Mordru strikes first, of course,” Jacq replied. Tina was quiet at that. “We better see if that is going to be the case…”
------------------------------------
Jacquie waited until the door opened and they stumbled in after via her illusions, Tina still phased with her powers though, which gave her some comfort. At last, they saw him, Zaryan the Conqueror. A General in the Khundian Military, he had come into power via a military coup twelve years earlier. Khundia has many religious issues, with a vast majority of its population split between Sunni and Sh’ite Muslims, but Zaryan had decreed that religion would play no part in the state. This angered not only the Khundian people and clergy, but the entire region at large. Zaryan didn’t care. He gladly welcomed the chance to invade, bomb and kill his neighbors. According to the internet, and even some more extreme American new stations, Zaryan believed he was the reincarnated conqueror of ages past, Ghengis Khan. Another rumor suggested he personally took part in executions of political prisoners. Whatever the case, Tina and Jacquie found themselves very afraid of the man, and no less so when they laid eyes on him and saw he was a tall, older man in his fifties, with salt & pepper colored beard and hair. His beard was thick but not long, and he wore a military uniform. He did not smile. No one smiled while near Zaryan.
Jacquie noticed they were all quiet, and suddenly was worried it because they knew Tina and her were in the room. Relieved, she saw there were others entering.
“Our ally to the east sends his ambassador?” Zaryan said, and his voice was surprisingly normal toned.
“Yes General,” said a soldier. “May I present Dev-Em, of Zerox,” he finished.
And as Dev-Em entered the room, healthy once more, in a blue pin-stripped business suit as nonchalant as could be, Tina and Jacquie began to silently panic. Could he hear them through Jacquie’s illusion? He should not be able to. But his hearing…
“The Lord Mordru sends his greetings,” said Dev-Em, “and is pleased by your progress. Your efficiency is well-noted General Zaryan. The things they say about you seem to be correct.”
“Mordru knows this,” said Zaryan, “otherwise this long-standing partnership would have since dissolved. You can skip the pleasantries ageless one. I take no joy in your presence. What I want, is to know when we can speed up our timetable.”
“Things are moving exactly as planned,” said Dev-Em. “There’s no need to rush them.” The other soldiers in the room all looked to Zaryan to do their speaking, even his top advisors. There was a sense none really liked Dev-Em.
“You’re wrong. A U.N. delegation left here two weeks ago. The ambassador from Sri Lanka told me I was full of empty threats. I plan to make her pay for that.”
Dev-Em grinned slightly, enjoying Zaryan’s outrage over the perceived insult. “What would you have us do then? Mordru’s forces are mobilizing, as you are aware. The deathless army left Zerox over a month ago, and is only now just arriving at its destination.”
“From what I understand,” said Zaryan, “this ‘deathless army’ has no match and should be able to mobilize faster than any other army before it. Why has it taken so long?”
Dev-Em stopped smiling now. “Perhaps you don’t fully understand the scope of what is being accomplished, General,” he said, the word General spoken in a sarcastic way that caused the other soldiers to shuffle their stance. “A large army has entered another hemisphere, on the very doorstep of the United States, and not one nation in the world other than you knows anything about it. Accomplishing that is an extraordinary feat, and will take some time. As you know already, the army can only move at night.”
“I had forgotten,” said Zaryan. Tina and Jacquie at last could see that Zaryan, while obviously informed of the power of Mordru, had some real doubts over it. He understood military power, but had trouble grasping magic. Yet he was proceeding forward with Mordru anyway, Jacquie noted, obviously for his own reasons.
“Our other allies are prepared. They’ll follow our lead anyway, and Mordru has his agents in their governments already. North Korea, Venezuela—“
“When the time comes,” said Zaryan, “we will take Sicily first. Historically, it would make sense.” Dev-Em shook his head and laughed. Tina could see he was sizing up Zaryan and saw him the way she did: a simple man. Conquering Sicily because it was the historical battle ground of so many past wars. “We’ll attack there first on our way to France. And we are also sending our army to Israel,” he added.
Dev-Em raised an eyebrow at this. “That is not part of our plan,” he said. “Mordru is unaware of your intent.”
“Then tell him,” said Zaryan. “That is non-negotiable. Israel will be destroyed from the onset, setting the stage for the rest of the war. Then we move on to France from Sicily and make them suffer for their allies insults.”
Dev-Em considered this. “It is not my decision. But Mordru will let you know in time if he desires otherwise. If he doesn’t, simply do what you feel you must…”
“When will Mordru himself make himself known?” said Zaryan. “Obviously, his part to play is the most important.”
Dev-Em laughed loudly at this. “Mordru will arrive on his great Dragon steed in the middle of the battlefield.” Everyone in the room shuffled in discomfort at this statement. It seemed ludicrous. “Doubt me if you will. But I’ve seen the dragon.” More discomfort. Dev-Em smiled and looked around the room. Ever so briefly, he looked in the corner towards Spirit and Sensor, pausing for just a second and then moving his head.
It was enough for the two girls. As soon as someone else entered, they left immediately.
[ March 10, 2008, 09:07 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Khundia: Part 4
“I-I’m nervous,” said Tatiana, with a smile and small giggle, which made Mon stare into her face and lose himself in it in a way he didn’t think would ever be possible.
He stared at her, and she stared back. She was shaking just slightly and he could feel it. “You’re beautiful,” he said softly to her.
She leaned forward and kissed him and he lips were soft. She was strong and fierce moments earlier in her passion towards him, and now she was delicate and vulnerable, and his heart grew heavier with each breath. He held her strongly, and put his arm around her back, as he lay backwards and pulled her on top of him.
Their bodies felt warm against each other’s, and they felt a fire building in their bodies. She stopped shaking and felt the sharpest pain, and it stayed for a long time, though all the while she felt another type of explosion in her chest and her throat. She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.
She put her arms around his neck and he moved in a very slow, steady rhythm, and at last, it began to turn to pleasure for her as the full realization of the moment pulsated with every motion.
They had entered Khundia and she was refreshed; speaking with her ancestors left her feeling like a warrior born, and once more, for the first time in weeks, she felt strong again. In control. Sure of herself. And in that sense, she at once understood what she wanted. She wanted Monius Elysius. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to love him. She wanted him to be her first.
Her strength was addictive to him and though he did not voice it yet, he knew in his heart he was destined to love her. And for the first time since waking up all these centuries later, he felt like there was a real reason for it. There was a real glimmer of hope for him in this time.
They made love. In an abandoned building, in a foreign country, off in their own room where none of the others would bother them. Blankets spread out, with two candles, one good one and one so tiny it barely gave off any light or heat.
But it was perfect.
She laid in his arms afterwards, the full realization dawning on her of what just occurred. She laughed at herself because she felt like she should know how to react, had prepared her whole life for it, but now had no idea. So she lay in his arms, and he held her just tight enough where she felt she didn’t need to figure that out just yet.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Khundia: Part 5
“Killing you would certainly earn me some respect around here,” said Veilmist with a seductive smile. “They’d finally leave me alone.”
“Maybe for awhile,” replied Dirk, also smiling, “but they’ll never leave you alone. And where would the fun be in killing me?”
“You’ve got a point,” she replied and kissed him again. He kissed her back and put her arms around, as they sat on her bed. “You’re the first boy to ever come into my room and not try to take from me something I didn’t want to give…and her I go, giving it anyway…” she laughed.
“Its not your fault,” replied Dirk. “I’m terribly hot, and equally as charming. And I’m feeling this whole teen loner/angst thing lately, which you probably find incredibly sexy…”
“Don’t push your luck.” They made out awhile longer and Dirk lost himself in it for awhile. What possessed him to come in here? He had no idea, but now thought it was a good idea. She did too, and for the first time in a long time, she forgot she was stuck here in Khundia.
“Dirk!” he heard. It was Tenz’s voice. He could hear him in his head, wondering what the hell he was doing. “Dirk!” There it was again. Or wait? Was that really him? Yelling in the streets?
“If that’s your friend, you better shut him up,” said Veilmist. “Otherwise all three of us our dead.”
Dirk hopped up from the bed and ran to the window. Down below, he could see Tenz partially in the shadow, but still visible. He shouldn’t be out in the streets. If a soldier saw him, they’d kill him. “Tenz!” said Dirk in a whisper. “Shut up!”
“What? I can’t hear you,” replied Tenz in a semi-yell.
“Shut up!” said Dirk again. “Okay, this was a bad idea,” he said out loud to Veilmist.
“Who the hell is that?” said a voice in a room to the left of Veilmist’s.
“Please tell me that was the little spider-guy,” said Dirk.
“More like the large bastard with dreams of being a murderer and rapist,” she replied venomously.
“Uh, maybe I should get out of here?” he said, unsure of what to do.
“Probably a good idea,” she replied with a half-smile.
“I don’t even know your name, other than, you know, Veilmist. (I hope that’s not your real name by the way).”
“Its Alimah. Yours?”
“Dirk. We’ll meet again.”
“I doubt it,” she said. “I’m not even sure if this is happening or not, or just some dream.”
“Greaaaaat,” he said, hopping out the window. He intended to scale down the building, but suddenly realized once he was out there what a stupid idea that was. “Tenz! Be quiet!”
“Blok told me you were up there,” said Tenz. “Dirk, its really dangerous for you to be out. We should get out of here.”
“Blok told you? Where the hell is Blok? No way he’d let you yell up to me…” said Dirk quietly, but Tenz couldn’t hear.
“Blok took off though,” said Tenz, again too loudly. “I don’t know where he went!”
Dirk began scaling down bit by bit, though he realized he would probably slip. “Who the hell are you?” he heard suddenly, looking up to see the face of Firefist not far from his own. “You’re not Khundian.”
“I don’t think we’ve met yet,” said Dirk casually, “I’m Dirk Morgna, but lately they’ve been calling me Flare…”
“Flare? So you’re a Legionnaire!” yelled Firefist. Dirk began to say ‘not really’, but Firefist suddenly lit his fist in a blaze of flames, and punched down at Dirk, nailing him in the face and knocking him backwards off the building. Three stories he fell, as Tenz realized there was no way he’d catch him. Almost in slow motion, Dirk kept falling, until coming towards the ground…and right into the hands of Hasim, who suddenly appeared.
“How’d I know you two idiots would fuck this up?” said Hasim with a menacing grin.”
“Uh, thanks,” said Dirk, scrambling to his feet as up above, Firefist yelled at the top of his lungs, alerting the troops. Suddenly, there was noise everywhere, as soldiers scrambled. Dirk looked up at Firefist. “You’ll regret that, pal!” he yelled.
Firefist looked enraged. “Really?” he said, and suddenly leapt out the window, landing on his feet, ten meters away from the three, as Tenz rejoined them. His fist once more burst into flame as he ran forward.
Dirk called his own flame forth just in time, and blasted back at Firefist himself. Both blasted their powers at one another, and both seemed to be stuck in stalemate. “Looks like someone else likes to play with fire…” said Dirk. His confidence was renewed by his encounter by Veilmist, and he suddenly couldn’t believe this was happening.
“ARGH!” yelled Blood Claw, running out the door at full speed, leaping towards Tenz, and knocking him backwards. “At last! Legionnaires here!”
“We’re not Legionnaires…” said Tenz, before a fist hit him in the face.
Hasim was on Blood Claw in seconds. He was furious, completely full of rage. He hammered punches into Blood Claw’s side, using the larger fighter’s momentum to pull him forward, and then focus a tremendous punch into his kidney. “My name is Nemesis,” he said, “remember it.”
Suddenly a large net of spider-webbing covered Matter-Eater Lad, Nemesis and Blood Claw, as Flederweb scaled down the building. Up close, Dirk could see Flederweb had bat-like wings, in addition to his spidery appearance, giving him a very odd appearance. But his presence distracted Dirk, which was all Firefist needed, running slightly to the side, and then causing Dirk’s flameblast to veer off, so he fell forward. Firefist was on him in seconds, hammering at his face.
“Enough,” said a familiar, deep, trembling voice, as Blok once more rejoined them. Blok’s massive form picked up Firefist and hurled him to the side.
“Blok,” said Dirk, spitting out blood from his mouth. “Where did you go…?”
“I was alerting the others,” he said, “that it was perhaps time to leave this place.”
“Good idea,” said Dirk, getting up, as Flederweb leapt at the two of them, and Firefist regrouped.
“Monster,” said Firefist, “know that I will carve you apart.”
In the webbing, Nemesis and Blood Claw continued to tussle, which only made the webbing tighter, until neither could move. Blood Claw screamed in rage and anger. “Flederweb! You fool!”
Tenz grabbed a piece of webbing and suddenly took a huge chomp. It went down easy enough, and he took another, starting to eat his way through. “Take a look Hasim,” he said, “once more, eating matter in all of its forms comes in handy again.”
“I notice it usually means you need to be caught first,” said Hasim.
Firefist ran now full speed at Dirk and Blok, though Blok barely moved. Dirk braced for it, when suddenly Valor leapt between them, grabbed Firefist by the arm, and hurled him with amazing strength farther down the street. “Dirk,” said Val calmly, “just because I’m teaching you to fight doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your ability to blast huge streams of fire when someone is charging you…”
Veilmist suddenly teleported down below. “What’s going on here?” she yelled, obviously faking surprise. Val looked at Dirk and shook his head, obviously knowing more than he said.
“Time to go is right,” said Val, pulling Tenz free, who now started trying to free Hasim.
Firefist recovered, as Veilmist and Flederweb flanked his either side.
Before him now stood Blok, Valor and Flare. In the blink of an eye, two figures blurrily joined them, as Mon-El and Umbra moved towards Flare’s side, and Matter-Eater Lad and Nemesis now stood up. Walking down the street behind them, Spirit and Sensor ran forward, as Khundian soldiers gathered all around them, at first dozens, then at least two hundred.
“You’re outnumbered,” said Firefist.
“Depends on how you look at it,” said Dirk, letting his flames dance higher into the air from his hands. The implication was obvious.
“Even then, you’re outnumbered,” said a familiar voice and suddenly they all tensed up, except Blok, who took it in stride, and Mon-El, who at once became both angry and calculatingly cool. It was Dev-Em, who flew down, in front of Firefist. “I knew we’d meet again soon, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon,” he said. “Just like I knew you’d made it to Khundia, but honestly…to have the nerve to stay here a few days? Impressive.” Firefist looked at the others, as Blood Claw joined them. But he did and said nothing. Dev-Em, hovering in mid-air, emanated power and control. Here, Mordru’s lieutenant had taken over. “I think we both know what has to happen now, Monius,” he smiled.
Mon said nothing, but took his blue cloak, and removed it, handing it to Tatiana, who looked incredibly worried. “You and I have unfinished business,” was all he said.
Tenz looked at Dirk, and they were both worried. This was not how this was supposed to go down. How in the world would they get out of this one? Dirk didn’t look back, and Tenz could see why: he was starign right at the girl, Veilmist. His eyes looked like they were pleading.
Silent and unmoving, she stared back at him. Tenz could not explain why, when he later told this to the others, but he felt like at that point, both Veilmist and Dirk were somehow communicating. Through their eyes. Her eyes looked back at him, as if to say: ‘very well. I’ll help you.’
And suddenly, all nine of them were teleported away. Completely. Dev-Em turned at super-speed, flying up into the sky, searching everywhere for them, as Firefist turned towards Veilmist, understanding immediately what had happened. “They’re all dead,” she said. “I sent them into deep orbit. I killed them,” she said firmly. “Such is the price invaders of Khundia must pay,” she nodded.
Firefist looked like he would hit her, his face twisted in rage. Slowly it began to turn to normal. “Well done,” he said. She showed no further emotion, fearing to do so would reveal her lie.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Breaking of the Fellowship: Part 1
The Legend of the Black Pirate ”In the latter half of the 16th century, political forces plunged much of Europe into war. Responding to a personal need to see justice done, British nobleman, Jon Valor, assembled a loyal crew of freedom fighters and set sail under a buccaneer flag, donning the colorful costume of the Black Pirate. At war’s end, Jon Valor was at last captured by the Spanish and sentenced to death. This sentence was commuted when King Philip of Spain discovered that Valor had been secretly wed the night before his execution to the King’s own ward, Donna Bonita. In return for his freedom, Valor agreed to serve the Spanish flag so long as it also served the cause of justice. In time, Valor and his wife had a son named Justin, who, when he came of age, set sail with his father on his adventures. When their situation in Spain at last became untenable, Valor fled the country with his family and crew, returning to England, where he continued his career as the Black Pirate. When Justin, now a young man, was wounded and seemingly lost at sea while fighting at his father’s side, a heart-broken Valor revealed his true identity to English King Charles, and put away the Black Pirate’s cowl, he thought, forever. Five years later, Jon Valor was summoned before his King, who requested the aid of the Black Pirate to stop a mysterious new band of pirates who were raiding British vessels. At length, Valor discovered that his own son, now a Puritan, was the leader of the pirates, raiding British ships in order to fund the Puritans’ journey to America. Making peace with his son Valor watched as Justin set sail for America and a new life, the Valor himself returned to England to live out the rest of his days in peace. Jon Valor was a superior athlete and superb swordsman, as well as an accomplished sailor. Valor displayed above-average hand-to-hand fighting skills, though preferred to rely on his keen strategic mind. Exalted in both England and Spain, the Black Pirate lives in on the annals of history and legend.”
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Silent and unmoving, she stared back at him. Tenz could not explain why, when he later told this to the others, but he felt like at that point, both Veilmist and Dirk were somehow communicating. Through their eyes. Her eyes looked back at him, as if to say: ‘very well. I’ll help you.’
And suddenly, all nine of them were teleported away. Completely. Dev-Em turned at super-speed, flying up into the sky, searching everywhere for them, as Firefist turned towards Veilmist, understanding immediately what had happened. “They’re all dead,” she said. “I sent them into deep orbit. I killed them,” she said firmly. “Such is the price invaders of Khundia must pay,” she nodded.
Firefist looked like he would hit her, his face twisted in rage. Slowly it began to turn to normal. “Well done,” he said. She showed no further emotion, fearing to do so would reveal her lie.
Icaria
Ten Zil Kem opened his eye widely, in the midst of a blink, and the warm breeze coming off the summer waves hit his face pleasantly. The waves crashed and he heard their soothing sound, aware of the cry of seagulls not far off and of morning sun, still not fiery hot but gradually becoming so, beating down on his neck. He was a on beach. His eyes widened again as he looked around, suddenly very aware that he was not anywhere near Khundia.
“Dirk! Tatiana! Anyone! Hello?!”
“Over here, Tenz…” said Spirit, walking down from a grassy hill, dusting sand off of her Legion costume. She looked around and there were some people scarcely spread out, and she suddenly felt very embarrassed to be wearing her Legion costume.
“Tina…what happened? Where are we--?”
“We’re at the beach,” she said calmly, “somehow. There’s Tatiana over there.” Not far off, they saw Tatiana Mallor walking towards them. She too seemed to be in a daze.
“What happened? Where are we?”
“We’re trying to figure that out too, Shady,” said Tenz. Evidently, he had no intention of abandoning Tatiana’s nickname, derived from a codename which she chose not to use. “It…it felt like literally one minute ago we were having a stand-off with the Khundian army and that Dev-Em lunatic—“
Again, the three of them were surprised as Blok appeared out of the beach, now becoming an entity made of sand, though still that normal muddy, dark red Earth / dark gray matter form. <font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">”I believe the name of this island is Ikaria, or something similar, depending on what language you’re understanding me in at the moment. A fine island with a deep, long history. Many wars have been fought with this island as an important chess piece.”</font f>
“We’re in Greece, then” said Shady.
“One of the Greek islands in the Mediterranean,” said Tina. “The others must be near…”
<font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">“They are,”</font f> said Blok. <font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">” “They will arrive shortly, I have just contacted them.”</font f>
With that, Mon-El suddenly flew in, holding Flare by his side. “I found Dirk not far from me,” he said smiling. “I’ve been here before, you know. This is one of the islands in Greece I visited…long ago…”. As he and Dirk let go of each other, Tatiana ran over and wrapped her arms around him and kissing him. He laughed a little. “Worried?”
“Just about that maniac Dev-Em,” she said. “I was bracing myself for you two to fight again.”
“I don’t get a reception like that,” said Tenz seeing Tatiana hug Mon and kiss him.
“Don’t get any ideas,” said Tina with a smile.
“It was the girl, Veilmist,” said Dirk. “She teleported us out of there. May have ended up saving us by doing so, and I hope they don’t find out she did it, for her sake.” He had a genuine sense of being sorry she might get in serious trouble (or worse) for them.
“So Sun Boy goes off after a girl—and one of the enemy to be precise—and we all end up almost getting caught and killed.” They turned to see Hasim walking towards them. “Tell me right now why I shouldn’t beat your ass for that,” he said.
“That girl ended up saving us, if you forgot. She obviously wants nothing to do with the Khundian military. She just needed someone to remind her. So I did. We need allies, and I got us one. On the inside too.”
“More like you were feeling lonely and wanted a little Khundian girlfriend,” said Hasim.
“Kettle calling the pot black, Hasim?” said Dirk with a grin, as Jacquie and Valor walked down the beach together, evidently finding each other before meeting up with the others. Hasim fumed, obvious anger in his eyes.
<font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">”That is enough children. We have left Khundia, but have learned all we need to know there. If we do return, per chance, I am sure it will be even more unpleasant.</font f>
“That’s a fine thought…” said Tenz.
“So the question is, what do we do next?” said Dirk.
“There’s a town nearby,” said Jacquie. “I still have some money on me. Do any of the rest of you?” she said. The items they had collected during their travels had been sparse to begin with, but now were sparse to the very extreme of the word.
“I do too,” said Tina. “We can pool it together, get a hotel room somewhere. Maybe pick up some items. If we get back to Austria, I can get more.”
“I can get some too,” said Tatiana, “my father won’t know its gone.”
“Wow, must be nice to be able to ‘get money’,” said Tenz, looking at everyone.
As he looked at Val, Val smiled “don’t look at me Ten Zil, I’m as well off as…Blok.”
While Tenz whispered to Jacquie “did Val just make a joke?” causing her to laugh, Mon spoke up. “Its settled then. Lets head to down, find a room, pick up items at market and find out where to go next. We’re in no immediate danger. I’ve used my vision to look far across the island and there are no enemies here.”
------------------------------------
Two hours later, it was up to Tina and Dirk to find them a room, and they succeeded, with a small bungalow that was nicely secluded. They entered casually, hoping to draw little attention, though they hardly succeeded as Tatiana’s deep blue skin color was hard to conceal and their style of dress even harder. Blok disappeared outside of town but reappeared in the secluded grounds area outside the bungalow.
“Tina, Tatiana and Jacqueline have gone out to get us clothes and other things,” said Mon-El. “Better they go, they’re better at that sort of hassle in the marketplace.”
“How delightfully sexist of you,” said Tenz with a laugh. “I knew it was an old-fashioned attitude, but to hear you say it and then add in ‘marketplace’…well, that was priceless.”
Mon raised his eyebrows in a ‘don’t really care what anyone thinks’ manner, causing Tenz to laugh.
“I’m surprised you didn’t go with them,” said Hasim to Dirk and the implication was plain.
“That’s enough Hasim,” said Val at last. “Your little jabs solve nothing.”
“Oh yeah? I don’t recall asking for your opinion on it ninja”
“Is that some sort of insult?” asked Tenz to Mon. “Feels like it…”
“What do you think we should do next, Blok” said Mon, ignoring everyone and getting to the point, as was his way.
<font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">”We now know some of Mordru’s intentions. It would be wise to rally our allies and prepare. I believe he has made a calculated mistake. He is acting too soon, committing himself too soon. Perhaps because Maziah and Nura escaped him. Perhaps because of our insult to him when fled Zerox. Things will move much faster now.”</font f>
-------------------------------------
Tina picked up a black top, looked at it and then put it down. Hesitating, she turned to Tatiana. “This would look good on you,” she said at last.
Tatiana looked up, surprised and at last, smiled. “Thanks,” she said. Tina smiled back.
“I can’t believe we’re shopping for all those boys. It doesn’t seem right.”
“Well, they're bloody useless when it comes to simple things like clothes and cell phones,” said Tatiana. “At least Mon has an excuse. All Tenz and Dirk seem to think about is their next meal. I thought Dirk was some sort of male model…?”
“He’s embarrassed by it,” said Jacquie, joining them. “It doesn’t really get you much respect among the other guys in our crowd.”
“They all seem to follow his lead though,” said Tatiana.
“Well,” smiled Tina, “he’s the only one who knows how to talk to girls.” They all laughed at that.
“I’ve got us a few prepaid cell phones. I’d say finding a cell phone plan at this stage would be a little ridiculous.”
“Maybe when things settle down,” laughed Tina. “Any luck with some ipods?”
“I was able to get three of them. Between all this, the clothes and the room, we’re just about out of money.”
They all continued to look at the various clothes. “Well, I don’t know whether to buy clothes for warm weather or cold weather. I never know where we’re going to be.”
“I think I know where some of us may have to be,” said Jacquie, at last. “The United States.” The looked at her, a little shocked. “I’ve been thinking about your Legion, Tina. We let Condo and Vi return without any real plan or word to give about Mordru. But maybe its time we came up with a real game plan…”
“We talked about this before, Jacquie…”
“I know, but honestly, it may be the best shot…”
“What’s Irma like, Tina,” said Tatiana at last, cutting them off. “I’ve known her my whole life, yet I’ve never actually met her. Nura too. I’d love to meet Nura.”
Tina smiled. “I’ve only met Nura briefly really, but she’s beautiful. Honestly, she’s ‘make you fall down’ beautiful. She’s smart as a whip too.” Tina smiled to herself, thinking about them. “Irma…Irma is wonderful,” she added. “I really miss her. In the early days, when we first started the Legion, Lorna and I would spend most of our time with Irma, but that was before her and Garth started to, well, spend more time together. When I left, I really didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to her. You’d both be so proud of her. She really is the Legion, in as much a sense that Cos is. It couldn’t function without her.”
Tatiana smiled too. “I’m glad you stayed Tina,” she said at last.
“Do you guys feel anything?” said Jacquie suddenly. She looked slightly confused. “A weird chill just swept across me. Very weird.”
They didn’t, so the three girls paid for their items and began to return back to the boys.
----------------------------------
As they walked back, bags in two, they were laughing still. “I can’t wait to put on clean clothes!” said Tina. “I’m taking off this costume for the duration, I think. If you all are in regular clothes, then I will be too.”
“With that tight stomach,” said Tatiana laughing, “I don’t know why you would…”
Suddenly Tina stopped now. The other two looked at her. “I…I felt it too, Jacq,” she said at last. “The cold chill. Something weird…do you…?”
The other girls looked around, but no one was near them. The wind blew from the sea, which was about a mile away, and they could smell the rich salt water air. But nothing really. “Wait,” said Jacquie. “Yes, I do…but it feels like…my powers are acting funny…”
“What do you think…?” began Tatiana but she began to feel it too.
”It’s the magic” said a voice, “you are all practitioners of it. Otherwise, I could never reach out to you, only you would have the choice to reach out to me. But you made that choice already when you choose magic…
“Who?” said Jacquie, dropping her bags. She focused on her illusion powers, casting them everywhere to cause any illusions to drop.
“That’s it, dearie,” said the voice, while I have seen many, it has been far too long since any have seen me…”
Jacquie continued to cast her spells over illusions, at last causing the light so shift in a weird foray of colors, exposing the magical aura in the air around them. A weird form began to materialize in front of them, a darkened shadow, looking like static in an old television set. “Spirit…” said Jacquie, concentrating.
“I’m here, Jacquie,” said Tina, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“No, my lovely,” said the voice, “she means spirit as in me. As in ghost.” Their eyes went wide as the weird form began to come more into view, revealing an odd, black and white shape. Still blurry, they began to see a man four centuries out of time, by the style of his dress, but also with a mask over his face, covering everything above his dashing moustache. He had a rapier sword in his hand. “The pleasure, dears, is mine. Jon Valor, the Black Pirate.”
[ March 19, 2008, 07:07 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Breaking of the Fellowship: Part 2
“Now I really have seen it all,” said Tatiana, looking at the Black Pirate. Of all of them, hers was the power least influenced by magic, based on a type of magic so ancient that it wasn’t really magic at all when compared to the type of power used by Mordru, Maziah, Jacquie or Spirit. But that same point of origin allowed her to see him in full view now, influenced by Jacquie’s own powers of illusions and truths.
”You are not screaming and running for your lives, which is good,” said the Black Pirate, with a hint of amusement. ”I must warn you though, whenever I have allowed myself to be seen by others, it often results in that woman being burned as a witch.”
“Good to know,” said Jacquie, “then you can only appear in front of women?”
“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 have, because I sensed you. I sensed your power and it had been a long while since I last communicated with another person.”
“And you live here, in Icaria?” said Tatiana.
“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.”
“You’re lying to us,” said Jacquie suddenly, and firmly. “Know this, ghost. Mine is the power to know lies and truths, illusions and facades, and to know what is real and hidden. Do not lie to us.”
The Black Pirate smiled wider. “What would you do to me? Kill me?”
The girls were silent. “He’s got a point,” said Tatiana at last.
“Not really though,” said Jacquie. “The three of us were just fine before an apparition came out of the sky and joined us. We can be on our way and Jon Valor here won’t have anyone to talk to again for another hundred years.”
Tatiana turned back to the Black Pirate, now also smiling widely. “She’s got a point.”
The Black Pirate laughed a hearty laugh. “What an age! Three females as fiery and independent as you three. Would that I had flesh once more…” The three girls looked at each other, now even more creeped out. “Very well. I sensed him on you. You’ve been to see Mordru not too long ago, correct? Tis very hard to get the stink of the Dark Lord off you once you’ve gone to see him.”
“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.”
-------------------------------------
“You know what we need,” said Tenz, “is a laptop.”
“I’d settle for a glass of beer,” said Mon. “And maybe some salted pork. ‘Laptop’ sounds like some complicated thing I won’t really understand but you’ll explain to me about anyway.”
“How about an Ipod, Tenz?” said Tatiana, walking in and throwing him one, which he caught, though only after a fumble.
“Hey!” said Dirk. “The cast of Charmed has returned! With clothes! And Ipods! How was Icaria?” he asked. The boys had all just really sat around all day, getting to know each other better, in between fresh showers naps and snacks.
“There was a nude beach not far from here,” said Tina, “so try not to sneak off and get us all killed,” she smiled.
“Haha,” said Dirk, “a guy makes out with two girls in the last two months and he’s suddenly girl crazy.”
“So you did make out with Violet,” said Tenz, “I knew it!”
Tatiana walked back over to Mon and sat on his lap. “Hi,” she said softly, “missed you,”
“You too, Shady,” replied Mon with a smile.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to start with me too,” she said.
Tenz threw his hands into the air. “Well, now I have to go find Mon a beer somewhere. That was our deal if he calls you Shady…”
“Oh, I see how it is,” she giggled to him. “One beer and you start calling me whatever you want…”
“One? It better be more than one,” he laughed, looking over to where Tenz was going.
“I’ve got you some clothes,” said Jacquie to Val and Hasim, with a smile, handing them both bags.
“Thank you Jacquie,” said Val.
Hasim nodded. “Thanks Jacq,” he said, a little embarrassed.
“I need to talk to you about something,” said Jacquie to Val then. Hasim looked up again, curious and annoyed. “About the Legion of Super-Heroes. About what we need to do now…”
-----------------------------------
The all sat around now, in the backyard of their bungalow, secluded from the streets and neighboring bungalows, but still outside and therefore feeling the cool evening breeze coming off the ocean only a mile away. They sat in a circle, with a small fire lit between them. They were all in new clothes, and for the first time in quite awhile, felt clean after showers, shaving and various other tricks they could do to feel that way.
Dirk made them a pot of coffee and some of them drank it; some others drank tea, like Tatiana, some drank just cold water, and Mon-El drank a glass of cold beer (“it tastes like water” he said about the Corona, “but I’ll take it”). They had eaten. Nothing extraordinary, as they couldn’t really risk spending too much more of their now very slim money, but they’d picked up some fruit and snacks. They felt good, actually. They enjoyed some small talk around the fire with one another, as Blok looked on happily, basking in this type of interaction he enjoyed so much in seeing.
Princess Jacqueline Proiectra looked around. She felt guilty about changing the mood, but knew it had to be done. “Everyone,” she said, and they all looked at her. Spirit wanted to sigh. “We need to talk.” They all looked forward at the fire and knew it was true. “About what to do next.”
<font face="Lucida Sans Unicode">“Jacqueline is right. The time for mustering our forces has now begun.”</font f>
“Mustering our forces…?” said Dirk sarcastically, and Tenz grinned.
“I’ve mentioned this to some of you, and I’ll put it out there right now. If our confrontation with Mordru has taught us anything—anything at all—it taught us that he is a problem for the entire world. Far beyond just us, far beyond Maziah, and I know if she were here she’d agree. We need to stop looking at it that way. Even now, his plans with Khundia involve one of Mordru’s armies attacking the United States, while Khundia attacks Europe. Beyond that, the Pacific and South America will be plunged into war as well.”
“We know this Jacquie,” said Mon-El, “but from what I’ve seen, no one in the world knows about Mordru except those like…like us. Who are we to tell? How can we possibly convince the world of the danger they’re in?”
Jacquie shook her head as if to tell him that question had an answer. “There are a few ways, some hard, some almost impossible. One of them is convincing the United Nations, one person at a time. Tina, your mother might be able to help,” she said to Tina, though Tina secretly began to doubt her mother and even her mother’s loyalties, “and Anton Relnic is another person we need on our side. But really, the answer was right in front of us, and it still is, and in a way, we let it get away from us. The Legion of Super-Heroes can help us. We need to rally the Legion to our cause.”
“Jacq,” said Dirk, before Spirit could speak, “you’ve obviously talked to Tina about this before, and maybe she can say differently. But from what I’ve heard, rallying the Legion to the cause against Mordru seems like a waste of time. The Legion would have to convince their own superiors of a supreme magical being in the Middle East of all places, with an implication of Legion involvement in Khundia as well. It almost seems like an impossible task.”
“Nothing is impossible Dirk,” she said to him sadly. “And it’s a role I have been training my entire life for. Diplomatically and politically, and with my abilities over illusions. I believe I should leave you all and journey to the United States to join the Legion of Super-Heroes.”
[ March 19, 2008, 07:08 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
The Breaking of the Fellowship: Part 3
“Jacq, no,” said Dirk suddenly taken aback, “you can’t split the group.”
“Dirk’s right,” said Tenz, “bad idea. I think maybe you’re putting too much pressure on yourself…” he looked around and saw that Jacquie had shown some slight political acumen already: Tatiana, Spirit and Valor already knew of the idea, even if Spirit wasn’t convinced yet.
“I must,” she replied. “I believe if I journey to the Legion, I can help push things in the right direction. Find out who the right people are to gear up for Mordru’s attack. Condo and Vi know us, but they haven’t seen all that we’ve seen. Their fellow Legionnaires most likely believe what we told them, but its all still distant to them. If I actually go there, that will be a completely different thing all together, considering how much I’ve actually experienced in regards to Mordru.”
“Jacq,” said Dirk, but she cut him off again.
“Nura, Maziah’s sister, is there, and so is Irma. You don’t know Irma, Dirk, but Maziah, Tatiana and I do, and she understands the larger picture too. She can be our ally.”
“Then why don’t we all go?” said Dirk. “We’re still not sure what’s next for us all. So let’s all go to the United States. I lived most my life there and I know it better than any of you, including the two Legionnaires. I know New York, where the Legion is.”
“Because Dirk,” said Jacquie, feeling more guilty, “because you’re all needed here. There’s still a great deal of work to be done here, in this part of the world. The U.N., including finding out who Mordru’s mole is, since we know he must have one. Keeping a close eye on the Khundian advance. And…”
“…And Maziah,” said Tatiana. “Maziah is still out here somewhere. We need to find her. You know that’s true Dirk,” she said.
“Of course I know,” said Dirk. “How do we know Maziah is alright? That’s she’s still close by us?”
"She is alright, Dirk", said Blok, "I know that much. Jacqueline is again right, there is much to do here still. On this, you must trust me, as you have so often in the past. There is much to do here, and I will need help to do it, otherwise, I too would go. For I believe the Princess is right. With the Legion she will find great allies, and powerful ones. With a vibrant new idea that could combat the Dark Lord. And perhaps, she can find out most powerful ally of all."
“You haven’t led me wrong yet Blok,” said Mon-El, “so I do trust you. But I hope you know what you’re doing Jacquie. Consider how many enemies you’ve made since you and I have known each other. Vampires. Demons. Entire Nations. Secret Societies. And let's not forget your blood enemy, the Emerald Empress. Any of these may attempt to overtake you on your journey. Even still, if they do not, you’ll still be in a land you’ve only ever heard about, trying to contact a group who may not be pleased with the contact when it happens.” She looked at him, trying to figure out how to reply to his words. They all looked up to Mon-El so much, including her.
It was Valor who answered for her though. “I will go with her,” he said. “For added protection, and because I know the Legion, and my presence can help ease this transition.”
Now Spirit was surprised. “Val, you know they must be so angry with us,” she began, but he cut her off.
“I trained almost every one of them in how to fight. I have probably had an intimate moment with each one of them at one time or another in that regard, which is more than anyone else in the Legion can say.”
“Its not the Legionnaires I’m worried about,” Spirit replied.
“Chu, then? The U.N.? SHIELD? Luthor even? I never did, and never will, answer to any of them. So I don’t care what they think.”
“Okay,” said Spirit knowing full well things wouldn’t be that easy.
“You’ll need me too then,” said Hasim suddenly. Until now, he had hardly moved in his chair. “For added protection, like Karate Kid said,” he added, emphasizing his new moniker for Val at the same time. “I’ll go too.”
Jacquie turned to him, and this time, she actually walked over two seats to lean in front of him. “Hasim…” she began, but couldn’t finish. “…you don’t need to…”
“I want to,” he said sternly.
From the very beginning, when Hasim’s attitude and words lost him friends among the group, it was Jacquie who made sure he was okay and included. It was Jacquie who essentially cared for him when he pushed all the others away. Perhaps it was because she was the leader of the group and saw it as her job to do so. But all of them knew it, that Hasim saw Jacquie as much more than a leader or a friend. Hasim loved Jacquie. None of them could tell if there were any feelings that Jacquie had for Hasim, given the nature of her powers making it so hard to read her. And then in Zerox, when Jacquie watched Hasim kill that man O’Ryan, when Hasim was doing it specifically to save her…well, that made things that much harder to read.
Now Dirk could see how complicated all these feelings really were. He knew Jacquie better than many of the others, and in a way, better than even the girls whom she had communicated with telepathically her whole life. They had become tight and relied on each other’s opinions, and Dirk had somehow pierced through Jacquie’s shell and begun to see she did have a budding attraction—to Val. Val obviously cared about her too, and Hasim could easily see that. Now Hasim desperately wanted to be sure those feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.
Jacquie stared at Hasim’s face, the two locked eye to eye. At last she spoke: “alright,” she said. Val closed his eyes and quietly leaned back, and Dirk knew he was disappointed.
“You’re really going then,” said Tenz. “You three are going to America and the Legion, and the six of us will be stuck here on a Greek Island.”
“Seven,” said Jacquie, “because you need to find Maziah.”
“Right. Absolutely,” said Tenz. “But…when Condo left, he said ‘this is the Breaking of the Fellowship’ because I knows I would think the Tolkien reference would be cool. But now…now it really feels like this is the Breaking of the Fellowship.”
“We’ll meet up again, Ten Zil,” said Valor.
“Yeah, during the fight against Mordru. I’ll wave to you when he turns Tenz and me into frogs,” said Dirk, half-kidding, half-serious.
Tatiana walked over to Jacquie and hugged her friend tightly. Two tears rolled down her cheeks. “Say hullo to Irma and Nura for me,” she said.
“Okay,” said Jacq with a small sniff. “Say hi to Maziah for me.”
“Hey, the goodbyes can wait until tomorrow at least!” said Tina. “I don’t want to start crying yet!” They all laughed a little. “I’ll give you some messages to take to various Legionnaires, Jacq. I know which ones might be the ones that will help you most, and I maybe if they see something from me they’ll know my trip over here with Val wasn’t in vain.”
“That would be great Tina,” said Jacq. “I’ll tell Nura about what we heard in Khundia too,” she said again.
“More secrets?” said Hasim, but then waved her off before she could reply. “Don’t bother; we all have them anyway…”
Blok put his hand on Jacquie’s shoulder, and another one on Valor’s. “What you will do is for the good of all of us, and it requires courage and commitment, which I know you both have. This war cannot be one by those of us in the shadows alone. You do right to reveal to the entire world.” -----------------------------------
Not far off, the Black Pirate watched with great interest, seeing for the first time an alliance against Mordru being formed and taking action. He surprised himself as for the first time in a long while since he had been a ghost, he felt the familiar rush of excitement flow through him.
Even farther, in Khundia, the girl known as Veilmist wondered if she had made the right choice and exactly what the boy Dirk Morgna could possibly do that could ever help her.
Farther still, in Manhattan, Nura bint Mordru bin Ahmad Al-Nayal, the Legionnaire known as Dreamer, looked up at the same stars, though only just becoming night, and wondered again about recent dreams. She smiled to herself. At last, she thought, I can meet another friend for the first time.
-------------------------------------
The goodbye was brief the next morning, but surprisingly more sad and tear-filled than any of them thought it would be. Val nodded and shook some of their hands, while Hasim waited quietly, not giving a word of goodbye to any. Jacquie hugged them all, and Tatiana especially tight, both shedding some tears. She also hugged Dirk tightly, and the two exchanged some whispered words of encouragement.
A decision to see this through the bitter end had been made.
With the rest of all of their combined money and a little help via illusions, the three young teenagers purchased three tickets aboard Oceanic Flight 823 to the United States.
[ December 12, 2011, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Reboot on :
Note: This takes place before Catalyst and Shrinking Violet's return
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...
And both of them felt the world burn to white...
Welcome Back? Level 2 - Desolation
Trinity awoke to a sea, not of white but of black. A seemingly endless, lightless expanse.
"Cos? Cos!? COS!!??" She got no answer. "...anybody?" she asked, in a low voice...
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.
They fell to the ground, teeth clenched, as Orange continued to scream before it faded to a whimper. As if from far away, they heard Cos' shout, and Purple just managed to raise her head to call out to him before falling again. They heard footsteps, and suddenly felt a foot kicking into Orange's leg and the sound of a fall.
He said something they couldn't hear, then felt along until he found their heads. He said something that might have included "happened". Purple just moaned in pain that the split hurt. He asked if they could remerge, getting louder, more frantic as he asked again. Purple strained to say that they would try, and to get back.
They heard him step back, and tried to focus past the pain until they felt themselves begin to flow, three bodies rejoining to one.
She managed to call out that she was alright before she fainted. _____________
The foul smell under her nose woke her up. She squirmed, and it was withdrawn as the hand underneath her pushed her forward to a sitting position.
"What happened?"
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. Are your powers working okay? Where are we?"
"I'm not sure - they seem to be working normally, but with no sight and nothing at distance to latch onto, I can't be 100% sure. Where? No idea where we are, but it's certainly not LHQ."
"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."
"It doesn't have to be tech - the elf-girl McCauley used to catch me - Clarice? - was a teleporter, but she used spears to open her portals. Someone else might be able to do the same thing with more control."
"Maybe..." Cos' voice trailed off, and he took her hand. "Right now though, unless you've got it, I don't think it makes much difference how it works."
"You don't have it."
"I didn't wake up with it in my hand anyway. In this black, there's not much chance of finding it even if it came with us."
"Lovely." She sat down, and tugged his hand to indicate that he should too. He felt her hand shiver, and clasped it tight.
"N-no, it's ok-kay Cos. I'm just c-cold." Trinity stuttered, teeth chattering. He remembered that she'd just been wearing a T-shirt before they'd been whisked away, while he'd been wearing his insulated costume, minus the gauntlets.
"Lu..." Cos pulled his short cloak off and put it round her shoulders. "Are you sure that's all it is?"
"S-sure. What el-lse would it be?"
"You tell me."
"N-nothing."
"Are you sure?"
She set her jaw and focused, trying not to think about the Black Room. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"It's not connected to anything that happened when... you know?"
"Not everything's about that Cos. You're not trying to pull a Gene, are y-"
"Lu, I'm the one who spent hours arguing to and with Gene after what happened to STOP you getting kicked off the team! Do you have any idea how much scrutiny we're under these days?"
"Huh"?
"Well, firstly, Luthor, obviously. Technically, he's got no power over us, but he's got 'influence' and that's nearly as bad. It took him months to get out from under the pile of dung we dropped him in in Columbia, and he STILL got elected within a year - what does that tell you?"
"Red States vote blindly?"
"You know what I mean. I've met him twice with Gene - trust me, he's not forgiven us for that. Plus, we've weakened our own position - half the team disappeared off on their own private missions; including us, and we marked our cards even if we technically got away with it because of the sheer volume of evidence. And then there's Tina's group. If they're lucky, they'll "only" get formal reprimands - final warnings - and if there were ready replacements, they WOULD be kicked out.
That's one of the main reasons for the Academy - out of a hundred or so students, at most five, plus Gates and the other two powered teachers, a Ms. Moonstar and a Ms. Lonestar, might be ready to join now. And four of those eight were asked and said no, two were decided to be too borderline, and Moonstar's tutoring experience was decided to be too valuable if they wanted it to work out. Just one even said "maybe" - she asked until the New Year to think it over - and it'll be at least a year before there'll be anybody else.
And even WITH that, as I say, if Tina's group ever decide to show their faces again, they'll be lucky to stay members. I'm not even sure Irma could save them."
"And here's me with a 'marked card', words like 'compromised', 'split personality' and 'low-powered' on my file."
"Right. I don't want you to be the scapegoat if anything happens. Plus, I don't want anything happening to YOU - any of you."
"...what do I need to do?"
"You're sure y..."
"Like you said, if I don't come back now, what are the odds I'll get back on that bike again? What do I need to do to prove I can hack it?"
"Two things - as soon as your leave of absence is officially over, you'll be sent for mandatory counselling, the same way Paul and Ella were - and are - after they were unbrainwashed. If Dr Ryker's report gives you a basic all-clear, you'll be readded to the formal "Active" roster - and in the meantime, you'll just be training & so on After that, you'll just need to show you can, as you put it, 'hack it' like you did before."
She fell silent for a minute. Cos then added, with a smile in his voice, "Oh, and not scream in pain when you split."
"HEY!" She glared through the obsidian air at him for a minute, then relented. "It's this place, it's interfering with my powers somehow. You saw me split back at HQ before this happened, remember."
"I know." After a moment, his tone lightened a little, "I still had to say it though, Lu." He felt for her hand again, and clasped it tightly, then stood up with her hand still in his.
She smiled. A pause. "Why do you always call me that?"
"What, Lu?"
"Yeah. You've called me it since the first time I spoke to you. How come?"
"It's a bit embarrassing... are you sure you want to know?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
"Just remember - you're the one that stuck me with 'Cosmic Boy', so you don't have a leg to stand on..."
"Tell me!"
"Back on that first day, I didn't catch your name, and you reminded me of my Aunt Lu. You didn't react, and I kept calling you it. That's all."
"No great plan, huh?"
"No great secret. I'm surprised you never asked before." He smiled and said, "We need to start moving, to try and find a way out of here."
"Shouldn't we stay here? If they get Gates in, or Clarice, and they find our trail, shouldn't we stay here so that they can reach us without needing to search through this?"
"I'd say yes, but for one thing."
"What's that?"
"Starboy was talking to Gates in the rec room when you arrived. It's been nearly an hour and a half by my reckoning, and if he could see a trail, they'd have got it by now. And, as for Clarice, she isn't ready to have any pressure of any sort put on her yet - they're terrified that she'll shut down to the point they can't reach her., throwing her into a life-or-death situation probably isn't a risk they'd want to take, especially when she only might be able to help.
Basically, we've got no food, no water, and nobody's got any means of tracing us."
"When you p-put it like that..." she shivered again as she pulled herself up against Cos.
They started walking. ________________
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. He stopped abruptly, leading Trinity to almost fall again.
"How long have we been walking, Lu?"
"I don't know. An hour?"
"It's a lot longer than that. It has to be. Didn't you have a watch?"
"It doesn't light up. Are you sure - my feet would be getting sore by now from all this walking, surely?"
"That's what's worrying me. Surely we should be getting hungry, or needing the toilet or something. I have to think to realise how long it's been. Something's very wrong here."
"But..."
"But?"
"But there isn't anything we can do, is there?"
"We can stop. Check your feet - are they okay?"
They sat down and felt. "Cos... can you feel yours? I'm touching my feet, but I can't feel anything." A note of panic began to creep into Lorna's voice.
"...no. And I can move my toes, but my feet should be sweaty after that walk, and they're not."
"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, but this time they did not fall to the ground, but stood, sweat suddenly pouring down their faces and eyes watering from the pain, holding each other on their feet in the pitch blackness.
"Lu, you've got to remerge." He felt at one of her foreheads, and waited a moment. "LORNA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? MERGE!"
"R-R-R-Re-x-x-x-x... I..." Three voices stuttered in unison, unable to finish the sentence.
"TRINITY. MERGE. NOW."
Three sets of bloodshot eyes looked in the direction of his voice, then pulled their eyes to each other. Then T-Orange and T-Purple, the outer two, felt a hand on their outer shoulders."
"Please. For me."
Their bodies started to flow together, until the merged Trinity stood momentarily, then fell to the ground. ___________
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.
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