Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board The Office of Security (out with the Lardy, in with the Dev)

"Yo, easy there, Jose... nobody except the ladies gets to touch the fin... "

SharkLad looks around suspiciously.

"So, have you seen Dev Em?"

Dev walks in. "Hey Jose. Did the Chief say when he would be back?"

He sees Shark Lad standing there, "Thanks for coming Sharky. Furball is a little different from the last time you two went at it...or at least he's letting everyone finally see his human form. We need them brought in. So far we know that Furball, Cobie, Ex and Power Boy are together in this...I have a feeling that there are others, but it's nothing I can prove yet."

Dev sees Tempest and nods to her. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Dev Em, one of the main operatives here on Legion World now. I spent some time among the Security Office before, but took some time off to relax with my family, so I am trying to get to know everyone again."

"Hey, Dev... so what's different about Furball this time? He actually took a bath?"

SharkLad waits for Dev to react but can tell from the expression on his face that things are pretty serious.

"So, anyway... where do we start looking for the Fur-some Four?"

(Tempest looks at Zardi, the faintest hint if disgust in her face.)

He's an unusual one...can't put my finger on it.

My dear, I have no intention to open a portal to Avalon. That sacred Isle is bound by magic beyond mere understanding. As such, to open any sort of path there to here, could be dangerous. As we have seen in the past.

What I was doing was enhancing the space given to me. I am afraid I am not a light traveler, so a bit craft was need to fit all my things.

Now, you are hunting Cobalt Kid? How interesting, give your boss a little memo. Tell him, that I will deeply consider getting into the affairs that seem to be developing.

(Tempest turns to head out the door, when she sees Dev Em and Shark Lad. Dev Em introduces himself to her.)

In many ways, I too was a member of the Security Office.

(Smiles. Then she frowns, her eyes blank out.)

I also tried to destroy this planet a few times, as it seems.

(She looks to him.)

Things certainly look different with a bit of perspective. These are new days and we require a new path, myself included.
It is nice to meet you.

No if you will both excuse me, I need to change and run a few errands.

Watches Tempest exit.

"What was that all about?"

Dev hears Sharklads words, but is curious about Tempest.

She leaves the room and he is left to ponder her words.

He shakes his head and looks back at Sharklad. "Sorry man, I have no idea. As to Furball, well Furball is a different person than anyone thought. He has a human form...one that looks a whole lot like I did about 15 years ago. he's a partial clone (I guess that is the best way to describe it) of me, but his dna was splices with some Lupine dna our "mother" came across in her travels."

Dev motions for them to walk towards the cafeteria to sit down. He grabs a coffee and sits down.

"Our mother is not exactly the most nurturing of creatures. Sort of a mad scientist/geneticist type honestly. I was raised by my father on Daxam, and only met my mother when I was a teen. She came to find me...it now seems solely to get a sample of my genetic code. With that, she created Furball. He doesn;t have Daxamite level strength, and can only switch forms between his furball state and human form...so his Durlan ability is limited as well."

Dev paused to let what he had told Sharky so far sink in.

"She also did all kinds of experiments on him while he was still in her 'posession.' It was at that point my father and I found out about him and 'rescued' him from her. He lived with us on Daxam for a while, but his Were nature started to come out more often, and he seemed more confortable in his Fuzzed out form. It took us years to realize that it was due to the nature of Daxamites and their reaction to the red sun we lived under. Here, he has complete control over his changes and does what he wants with it. When that whole incident happened where we got changed several years back, he had been trying to get in touch with me and had heard that I was with the LMB. He decided to stick around and played the Furry sidekick/team mascot thing. I never understood it at the time. I think he was just more comfortable with nobody knowing his true nature."

Dev took a sip of his coffee sighed and continued, "I'm guessing about when ewe got here to Legion World, he decided to trust someone. He chose Cobie as he was the Chief of Security at the time. He did all kinds of ops for Cobie...I just found the files earlier today. He's been undercover for years, and the two of them have done some really dark ops over the years...all necessary stuff, but things that the general populacce doesn't usually want to know about. He told me about his true abilities a little after we got here. I knew he could shift forms, but thought he was more comfortable in his altered state and left him to himself. I mean, why would I think that my brother woas going on missions all over the galaxy for one of my oldest friends here."

"Trust me, there's more to tell you, but to keep it as short as possible I'll just say this. He's stronger than you think, smarter than you ever thought possible, and willing to do whatever he has to to get the job done. If he's abandoned the ruse he's been perpetrating to pretty much all of Legion World for whatever is going on...it's big. Maybe even bigger than Lardy thinks."

"As far as to where they are...I have an idea, but we need to wait for Lardy to get back and hopefully get a few more membersto report in before we move out."

'Strange,' SharkLad thought, 'Dev's mom sounds a lot like mine. I wonder if there could be a connection.'

"That's a lot to take in, Dev. All this time, I thought Furball was basically harmless, annoying but harmless."

SharkLad debated whether or not to bring up the similarities between Dev's mother and his own. Sighing, SharkLad realized that if Dev could trust him, he should trust Dev.

"Listen, Dev, there's something I should tell you. My mother, Dr. Helena Aurelius, was a geneticist too. She 'created' me, along with a dozen or so other animal-human hybrids. She was shunned by the genetics community but that didn't stop her. The only thing that did ultimately put an end to her work was my 'sister,' Psychotic Beaver -- she killed our mother."

SharkLad paused. Even though it had been several years, his discovery of his mother's body still haunted him.

"There's a lot I don't know about my mother. Her lab on the Isla Larga planetoid disappeared a couple years back. Sprock, the whole planetoid disappeared. Otherwise, I'd suggest we go there and look for clues to whether there's a connection between our mothers and if there's anything in the lab that could help us take down Furball."

SharkLad's fin tingled.

"That's the second time my 'sharky-sense' has gone off today. Something else else big is about to happen. I hope I'm wrong but... I don't know, Dev. This is feeling too familiar."

"You know, I never thought of the possibility of a connection between our mothers, or the research that created what you two have become. I think we definately need to check into it."

Dev gets up from the table. "Let's see if we can figure out where they are. Where woukld Cobie go and think he was safe?"

Dev Em and Shark Lad are walking through the halls of the Office os Security when Devs personal com-link goes off.

"Dev here. Okay. No...stay put. We'll be there shortly. Thanks."

He knows that Shark Lad is lookking at him ithout even turning his head back towards him.

"Okay. This is gonna sound odd, but I have to go home to get a piece of equipment that my son built for me. It is set up to detect abnirmal magnetic anomolies."

Shark Lad just looked at him quizically.

"Yes. He's three years old, and can barely talk in full sentences...but he can build anything he can think of, even if he cannot describe it. Usually it's little transforming robots that he sees in my collection of old television programs from a century or so ago." Dev's mind almost clicked on something that seemed to have some bearing on Jose, but he couldn't quite connect it.

"Anyway, I told him I was playing a hide and seek game with Uncle Des and I needed his help to find him. This is what I asked him to come up with. that was about an hour ago when my search for Lolita didn't pan out. So, I'll be back before you know it, and we'll have a tol to track our old friend."

(Comes in, wearing a fitted dark purple coat, bejeweled with amethysts. It's knee length, with black boots covering the rest of her legs. Her hands have black gloves on them, her moonstone still lays on her chest. Her hair is pulled up and off her neck in a bun, a small purple hat with white plume sits on her head.)

Hello, I have taken some time to think and believe that it would be best, that I help you with locating that Cobalt fellow.

(Looks at Shark Lad)

Any clues? Directions?

Anything?

Dev returned with a small hand held machine.

"Hey Tempest. I know where they are...we've got to move fast though. I have a feeling they're going to be moving soon."

<also entering, Sir Roy surprises them, wearing a mask resembling the one he once wore when he was the villainous Royal Inquisitor>

I'm also ready. The time for a reckoning is at hand.

And I will have vengeance.

(Points to her three inch heeled boots.)

Well, I am obviously wearing traveling footwear. Let's find the dirty lot.

Red Arrow reports in, "I have followed them to outside a private residence. This clearly an upscale part of town, and I expect the security to be high. Please send Tempest as I think sending Dev all the time puts us at a tactical disadvantage."

Dev looks at him with a questioning eye.

"We need all the help we can get, so let's get moving."

(Listens to Red Arrow's report.)

We can't locate her position, too much magnetic disturbance.

So if that contraption is working right, lead the way, Dev Em.

"Let's rock and roll, Dev!"

<before they leave, Lardy appears with Hot Chick>

We're in, as well, guys.

<the first thing the others notice is the haunted look on the Chief's face>

<the second thing they notice is the palpable tension between the Chief and Hot Chick--those two have obviously just had a row, a nasty one by the looks on their faces>

<the third thing is what the Chief is wearing...>

Yes, Officers, I've had a special exo-armor made for me, so that I can now join you all as equals on the front lines. It's been killing me being ineffective in a scrape, and I've never in my life been one to be content to sit behind the scenes while others put their lives on the line.

This armor approximates my old Lard Lad powers and will allow me to lead you the way I should.

We have a chance now to end this pointless feud and bring Cobie's group in. Lethal force is NOT authorized, but I expect you all to fight to win today. Cobalt is my dearest friend in the universe, but I can't have him undermining this Office. Between our core strike force and our backup uniformed support, we should have sufficiently overwhelming force to lay them low.

Let's do this, Officers! Let's show Legion World that their faith in us is well placed! To the Villa!

<fires up armor and flies out>

<the others cheer and follow>

<as Lardy flies with grim purpose, his mind can't help but be preoccupied by what unfolded between him and "Hot Chick" before he briefed his Officers>

Gods, my life just got a helluva lot more complicated...

(A small cloud of glowing smoke swirls into the form of Tempest.)

Chief, this is Tempest. I am at the Office. Sir...there are reports of...by the GODDESS!

Dev lands outside the Office.

"Anyone in there...we have to come up with something better than running around like..."

(Tempest hears, Dev Em, she carries her voice to him, it's obvious that she is panicked.)

Dev, the reports, they're horrible. He is creating an aversion against nature. Sending insects too...the death count is on the rise.

Dev goes in to find Tempest.

"Where is he...are there any reports of anyone actually seeing The Red Bee?"

(Trying to calm herself, but now getting angry.)

No. Nothing! Damn machines are USELESS!!!

Dev hits the main com-link, "Lardy? Where are you guys? Have you found him yet?"